Eel Chowder

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• ⅓ cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 peppercorns
• Salt
• 1 ea. (about 1–2 lbs) medium-sized eel, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 ½ tablespoons flour
• 8 cups beef stock
• 1 bunch pot herbs
• 1 teaspoon mint, minced
• ½ cup celery, diced
• ½ cauliflower head, broken into small florets
• 1 cup peas
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 6 pears, peeled and seeded

Method

1. Combine the 2 cups water, wine, vinegar, 2 sprigs parsley, onion, one carrot, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt; bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add eel, and cook slowly until fish is tender.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large kettle; add the flour and cook until blended.
4. Add beef stock, pot herbs, mint and celery; cook slowly for 1 hour.
5. Cook cauliflower and peas in boiling salted water until crisp-tender.
6. Make a syrup with the ½ cup water and sugar. Add pears and simmer gently until tender. Remove pears from syrup.
7. To serve, first remove eel from liquid in which it was cooked.
8. Strain the eel cooking liquid, and add half of it to the soup base.
9. Drain the cooked vegetables and add to the soup base.
10. Place cooked eel and pears in a large tureen. Pour the soup base over top, and serve.