Ingredients for 4 people:
- 500 g. of eels
- 250 g. of peeled tomatoes
- half a white onion
- a clove of garlic
- 10 pitted olives
- 20 capers in salt
- 2 chillies
- half a glass of white wine
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Preparation:
With this recipe you will prepare a tasty version of eel seasoned in an olive and caper sauce. Buy fresh eels of a size of about 400 or 500 grams. Start preparing the ingredients for the sauce by carefully pitting the olives, using a special tool or a knife with a little patience. Then cut the olives into pieces of the size you prefer. Also chop the onion, the chilli pepper from which you remove the seeds and the garlic.
As for the salted capers, it is important to choose them of good quality and leave about 20 of them in the water for 10 minutes to dissolve the excess salt. Then, rinse them well under running water and place them on a tea towel to dry.
Then prepare the peeled tomatoes, chop them finely by hand without blending them. Cut the eel into 5 cm pieces after having eviscerated and cleaned it carefully. Be careful when cleaning the innards not to damage the gall. Remove the head and tail.
In a large casserole with a lid, brown the onion, the chilli pepper, the pitted olives and the capers cut into small pieces. When the onion is golden, add the garlic, fry for a few more seconds, blending with the white wine. Pour in the peeled tomatoes and bring to the boil. Season with salt, taking into account the flavor of the capers. Stir with a wooden spoon and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add half a glass of white wine and bring to the boil again, then add the pieces of eel and cook for about 5 minutes, with the lid on and keeping the flesh firm.
Turn off the heat and keep the saucepan closed with the lid for at least an hour to complete the cooking, let the eel flesh flavor and allow the flavors to penetrate well.
Serve the dish still hot, accompanied by slices of toasted homemade bread and a dry white wine. We recommend a Romagna Albana in honor of Romagna, a place of tradition for the culinary enhancement of eels, but also a good Nuragus di Cagliari to enhance the savory flavors of the dish.
Enjoy your meal!
