Free Chinese Recipes

Ingredients

• 1.2-1.35 kg (2 1/2-3 lb) eel
• 3 slices root ginger
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) salt
• 4 rashers bacon
• 1 bundle watercress
• 2 egg-whites

Consommé:

• 500 ml (1 pint) stock
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons) salt
• 45 ml (3 tablespoons) dry sherry
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Serve 8-10

Method:

1. Clean the eel and chop it into 8 sections. Finely chop the ginger, and rub it with the salt over each section of the eel. Leave to season for 1 hour. Cut each rasher of bacon in half. Wrap or roll one piece of bacon over each section of eel (secure with a wooden cocktail stick if necessary).

2. Remove the roots of the watercress. Beat the egg whites until stiff, put the basin in a steamer and steam for 8-10 minutes. Prepare the consommé by bringing the stock to the boil and stirring in the salt, pepper and sherry.

3. Place the bacon-wrapped eel sections in a deep-sided heatproof bowl. Pour in a kettleful of boiling water, leave for 30 seconds and drain. Repeat quickly once more and drain.

4. Spread a bed of steamed beaten egg-white (Fu-yung) over a deep-sided heatproof or glass dish. Arrange the watercress over the egg-whites and put the eel sections on top. Pour in the consommé. Place the dish in a steamer and steam vigorously for 25 minutes.

5. Bring the original heatproof dish directly from the steamer to the table after sprinkling it with freshly ground pepper.

Note: This is what we call in China a main course soup, and a useful variation from the stir-fry dishes.