Hamburger Aalsuppe - Hamburg Eel Soup

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 6-7
• 2 lbs eel, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 cups water
• 1/3 cup wine (chardonnay or pinot grigio are very nice, but whatever wine you have is fine)
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 8 cups beef stock
• 1 bunch pot herbs
• 1 teaspoon mint, minced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cauliflower, broken into small florets
• 1 cup peas
• 6 pears, peeled and seeded
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk, only
• 2 tablespoons flour

Recipe

• have eels cleaned, skinned and cut into 2 inch pieces.
• combine 2 cups water, wine, vinegar, 2 sprigs parsley, onion, one carrot, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt; bring to a boil and cook for five minutes.
• add eel and cook slowly until fish is tender.
• melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large kettle; add the 1 1/2 tablelspoons flour and cook until blended.
• add beef stock, pot herbs, mint and celery; cook slowly for one hour.
• cook cauliflower and peas in boiling salted water until crisp-tender.
• make a syrup of 1/2 cup water and sugar; cook pears until tender.
• about 1/2 hour before serving make dumplings: heat milk and butter, beat eggs and yolk and add flour combined wit hot milk.
• drop from spoon and cook in boiling salted water about 20 minutes.
• to serve, first remove eel from liquid in which it was cooked.
• strain liquid and add half of it to meat broth.
• drain the cooked vegetables and add to meat broth.
• place eel, pears and dumplings in a large tureen and pour soup over all.