How to cook fragrant and sweet Singapore eel porridge that warms the stomach on rainy days

How to make Singapore eel porridge

• 1

  Prepare the eel

  When you buy the eel, clean off the slime, gut it to remove all the internal organs, and rinse it with diluted salt water to ensure the eel is completely clean.

  Then rinse it again with clean water 1 – 2 times, and then use a knife to cut it into small bite-sized pieces.

  Methods to clean the slime and remove the fishy smell from the eel

  • Method 1: You can rub salt evenly over the entire body of the eel for about 2 minutes, use lemon juice to wash the eel from head to tail and rinse with clean water.
  • Method 2: Rice washing water or lemon juice is effective in removing the fishy smell and slime from the eel’s body. You can use one of these two ingredients to repeatedly wash the slime off the entire body of the eel, then rinse it thoroughly with water.
  • Method 3: Use kitchen ash to rub evenly over the entire body of the eel, using your hands to scrub from head to tail several times, and finally rinse well with water to effectively clean off the slime.
  • Method 4: Put the eel in a plastic bag and place it in the freezer for about 2 hours, then soak the eel in water, using a mesh cloth to scrub off all the slime from the head to the tail. Once the slime is gone, rinse with water to clean the eel.

  

  
• 2

  Marinating eel

  Marinate the eel with 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of wine, 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper, and mix well. Let it sit for about 30 minutes to allow the eel to absorb the spices evenly.

  

  
• 3

  Stir-frying eel

  Mix the sauce mixture with 1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of honey, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Add in 2 tablespoons of water, 1/2 tablespoon of wine, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper, using a spoon to mix well to help the spices dissolve faster.

  Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a pan over the stove, when the oil is hot, sauté 1 tablespoon of minced ginger, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, and 1 tablespoon of minced chili until fragrant.

  Stir-fry until all ingredients are golden and fragrant, then quickly add all the marinated eel into the pan, stirring continuously over medium heat until the eel meat is firm.

  Add all the sauce into the pan, stir-frying on low heat to help the eel absorb the rich flavors evenly. When the sauce thickens, taste and adjust the seasoning as desired, then you can turn off the heat.

  

  

  

  
• 4

  Cooking the porridge

  Place a pot of water on the stove, boil on high heat until the water boils, then rinse a bowl of rice and add it to the pot, stirring regularly to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. When the water boils again, reduce the heat and cook for about 30 minutes until the porridge is soft.

  Tip:

  • You need to pay attention to the ratio of rice to water to ensure that the rice grains can expand evenly; a ratio of 1 rice: 3 water is quite suitable for cooking porridge.
  • You should frequently stir the porridge in the pot, checking its thickness; if the porridge is too thick, add more water and continue cooking until the porridge expands evenly as desired.
  • You can use fresh porridge packaged instead of cooking it yourself to save time and effort.

  

  
• 5

  Final product

  Serve the porridge in a bowl and add some freshly sautéed eel meat on top while it’s still hot, and you can enjoy it.

  The rice grains are evenly expanded, soft, with a natural sweetness from the starch, paired with the chewy and delicious eel meat, which has a firm texture and rich flavor. All create a wonderful, appealing taste.