How to make dry eel with a unique flavor, chewy and sweet, perfect for snacking

How to Prepare Dried Eel

• 1

  Preparing the Eel

  The eel is cleaned of slime, rinsed thoroughly, and the belly is opened to remove the internal organs.

  Next, you cut the eel into pieces about 10cm long. Inside the belly of the eel, use a knife to slide along the backbone to remove the bones.

  How to Clean Eel from Slime and Eliminate Fishy Smell

  Method 1: Place the eel in a plastic bag with coarse salt, massage it thoroughly for about 2 minutes, then rinse off all the slime with lemon juice. After that, rinse clean with fresh water and let it drain.

  Method 2: Use lemon juice or rice water to wash off the slime from the eel’s body. When you feel the eel is clean, open the belly, remove the internal organs, and rinse again with diluted salt water.

  Method 3: If you have ash from cooking, rub it on the eel and wipe off the slime a few times with the ash. Finally, rinse with clean water.

  Method 4: Place the eel in the freezer for about 2 hours. When preparing, take the eel out, soak it in cold water, and use a mesh cloth to gently wipe the body of the eel a few times to remove the slime.

  

  

  
• 2

  Marinate eel

  Put the ingredients into a mortar and pound them finely, including: 1 piece of ginger, 1 chili, 2 cloves of garlic, 15g of rock sugar, and 1 teaspoon of fish sauce. Next, mix the mixture with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of monosodium glutamate, and 1 teaspoon of grape wine.

  Mix the eel evenly with the marinating spice mixture, and let it marinate for about 1 hour.

  

  
• 3

  Drying

  After marinating, you take the eel out to dry under the sun for about 3 big sunny days to completely dry the eel.

  To make the dried eel more flavorful, spread the marinade spices evenly over the eel pieces.

  Note:

  • During the drying process, you can spray a little white wine to prevent flies and insects from sticking to it.
  • Dry in strong sunlight; if it’s cloudy or raining, you can put the eel in a plastic bag or airtight container and store it in the refrigerator, then take it out to dry when it’s sunny.
  • While drying, remember to turn the eel pieces evenly to ensure they dry completely.

  

  
• 4

  Fry the eel

  Place a pan on the stove, add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil, turn the heat to low, and then add the dried eel to fry. While frying, turn the eel pieces to ensure they are crispy, then remove the eel and let it drain the oil.

  Tip: Besides frying, you can also grill the dried eel for a delicious option.

  

  
• 5

  Final product

  Dried fried eel is rich in flavor, chewy, fragrant, and is suitable to eat with white rice or use as a snack.

  You can also grill it and dip it with chili sauce, which is absolutely wonderful!