How to pair wine and eel?
Guilherme Corrêa Dip WSET
Eels are the exact opposite of salmon, in life and on the table. They spend their lives in rivers and go down to the sea to spawn. And when it comes to wine pairing, they love red wines with tannins.
A MYSTERIOUS FISH
The term coined from the Greek to classify fish with this behavior, catadromous, κατά kata, "down" and δρόμος dromos, "course" well defines one of the greatest mysteries studied by ichthyology, the migration of European eels. Anguilla Anguilla from freshwater or brackish rivers to the distant Sargasso Sea to reproduce. This incredible animal lives for an average of 15 years for males and 20 years for females in fresh continental waters, where it is known as the yellow eel. Once it reaches sexual maturity, it gradually transforms into a “silver eel” in the ocean, traveling between 5,000 and 6,000 kilometers until it reaches the depths of the Sargasso Sea, in the middle of the North Atlantic, where it spawns and dies. Its larvae, or leptocephali, return to the European coast carried by the Gulf Stream for many months or even 3 or more years. Upon arrival, they metamorphose into the glass eel, or elver, transparent and shiny, approximately 8 centimeters long. It then enters the estuaries to once again colonize the rivers and lakes of Europe. At this stage, it gains weight and pigmentation and becomes known as an “elver” or juvenile, until it grows and finally transforms into the famous – and appetizing – yellow eel. After that, we already know what happens, but not exactly why: it migrates back to the Sargasso Sea, reproduces and ends its cycle, sometimes decades after its life.
Gastronomically speaking, it is in the preliminary phase of the eels and then in the phase of the yellow eels, adults in fresh water, that the mysterious fish enchants the most refined and adventurous palates.
Unfortunately, and even more so for us gourmets, European eel populations are seriously threatened with extinction with severe restrictions on their fishing, a long-standing tradition in several European countries. In the elver phase, when a single kilo can be worth more than a thousand Euros on the market, the temptation to profit is enormous, with numerous illegal seizures, including in Portugal.
ELLIES ON THE TABLE
Among the most spectacular delicacies I have ever tasted as a traveling sommelier, I would put “angulas a la bilbaína” – real elvers, not an inexpensive fish-based substitute called “gulas” – simply sautéed in clay pots with olive oil, garlic and fresh chili peppers, served with wooden forks to avoid altering the flavor. In Spain, this appetizer is increasingly expensive and rare, but it is truly a gateway to paradise. When I lived in Tuscany, I had the opportunity to enjoy “cee”, in a Tuscan accent, or “cieche” in Italian, which are now completely prohibited from being caught throughout the country. In the typical recipe from Viareggio, they are also sautéed in “aglio e olio”, with the difference that they add a knob of butter, fresh sage leaves and an optional touch of white wine. I remember another divine experience with elvers in Italy, when a Neapolitan chef prepared some elver balls with eggs, garlic and flour and deep-fried them. It was out of this world!
Adult yellow eels are praised in virtually every Western European country, from the Mediterranean to the Baltic, with countless local recipes. And they are increasingly appreciated and exported to Asia, with the consequent damage caused by their excessive consumption threatening the perpetuation of the species. Fried, or preserved with vinegar, herbs and various spices, or roasted on the grill, or cooked in a moist way, or even smoked, the results can be exceptional.In Italy, it is customary to serve the adult female (larger than the male and can reach 1.50 meters in length), the “capitone”, on Christmas Eve. There is even the saga “del capitone” in some Italian villages, such as in Comacchio in Emilia-Romagna, where it is served grilled “ai ferri”, in risotto, in pasta, in “brodetto” in wet, marinated, etc.
However, it is probably in Asian cuisine that the yellow eel is increasingly appreciated and widely consumed, including the endangered European eel. Like the “unagi” of Japanese cuisine, deliciously grilled and glazed with “tare” sauce, the eel reveals its incomparable rich, fatty texture and deep, earthy flavors.
IN PORTUGAL
One of the favorite destinations for leptocephali when they arrive on the European continent, the Portuguese coast - with its many rivers, rias and estuaries - is one of the most blessed by the presence of metamorphosed eels and adult yellow eels. In the Aveiro estuary there is a strong tradition of catching eels, a ex libris This estuary has fostered gastronomic tourism and also the region's canning industry. As in other areas of the country, several typical recipes showcase this unique fish. In the town of Murtosa, for example, among many other ways of serving eels that have been refined over time, the stew stands out for its incredible richness and harmony of ingredients, cooked in layers interspersed with pieces of our star fish: potatoes, onions, saffron, bay leaves and pork fat, always with a touch of vinegar at the end.
WINES THAT WORK
When it comes time to uncork wines for an impeccable pairing, one fundamental aspect should guide our choices: there is no fish fattier than eels. It is worth remembering that yellow eels must accumulate in fresh water all the energy they will need, in the form of fat, for their subsequent migration as silver eels, swimming without feeding for 5 or 6 thousand kilometers to the Sargasso Sea. Lots of fat! It can account for 25% of the meat. Luckily, it is good fish oils, rich in omega 3. But they do not fail to impose their demands when it comes to choosing wines.
With the fabulous elvers, increasingly impossible to find and pay for, marine whites, more austere in the fruit so as not to clash with the delicate flavors of the delicacy, endowed with a pleasant freshness, make a beautiful match, like the Alvarinhos not very exuberant and their Spanish relatives of Low Rias, Mediterranean wines from Italy such as Vermentino or Verdicchio, etc.
When faced with yellow eels, however, loaded with stored fat, we have to define a harmonization strategy based on the fish cooking technique. This will influence the way in which the fat will predominate in the dish: as solid fat interspersed in the meat, or as a fat content in the cooking liquid.
Solid fat causes a tactile sensation of plastering or pastiness, and in this case, there is nothing better than the presence of acidity in the wine to induce intense salivation, which is essential for emulsifying the fat and making it easier to cleanse the palate. The wine's flavor and the presence of carbon dioxide also have a positive effect in this regard. Therefore, it is clear that our choice for recipes in which the eel fat remains in its flesh, sparkling wines (white, rosé or even red), or white and rosé wines with a lot of freshness, as well as some light or medium-bodied acidic reds, would be the ideal candidates for the pairing.Fried eels, for example, go spectacularly well with good-natured white wines from Minho, with high acidity and a touch of carbonic acid. We must never forget the level of flavor of the fish, from moderate to intense, so as not to break the first rule of pairing: the same level of aromas/flavors in the wine and the dish. In the Loire, French sommeliers like to suggest a Vouvray or Savennières, full of the acidity of the Chenin Blanc grape, with fried or smoked eels. A beautiful Champagne would also do the honors with praise in this case. With the fabulous smoked meats, the Rieslings electrifying and smoky in minerality work really well. With “anguilla ai ferri di Comacchio” or simply grilled open on the coals, the locals serve us a sparkling red wine of breathtaking freshness, a Bosco Eliceo DOC from the Fortana grape variety. The fact that yellow eels are in the continental phase and not in the oceanic phase of the species means that they are relatively low in iodine (4mg compared to over 70mg in salmon), which tends to clash with the tannins in red wines. For this reason, and also because of the deliciously earthy flavor of the eels, red wines fit well. In the case of “unagi” eels, rich in solid fat and with the assertive coating of “tare” sauce, powerful, smooth reds with beautiful acidity are suitable, such as some vibrant and not too tannic Alentejo wines from Portalegre, some high-altitude Malbecs from Argentina, or even an elegant Amarone della Valpolicella.
Don't many eel recipes include a splash of vinegar to cut the animal's fatty sensation, like in preserves and pickles? Let's remember this then, acidity in wines to emulsify the solid fat of the eels.
On the other hand, in “pot” or long-cooked preparations, the eel’s fats liquefy and disperse in the cooking liquid. This creates a rich broth with a lot of flavor and unctuousness, such as in eel stews, eel rice or risotto, eels stewed with red wine, etc. In this case, the effect of liquid oils or fats in the oral cavity predominates, causing a slippery tactile sensation of unctuousness. We must look for elements in wine that dry up or minimize the effects of this unctuousness in the mouth, namely: its tannins, or when a red wine is not the choice, alcohol. Unlike the anadromous salmon that swim up rivers to reproduce and end their life cycle, eels love red wines, and in unctuous “pot” preparations, even the most tannic reds. In France, for example, “anguilles en matelote” stewed with red wine are traditionally accompanied by reds from the Loire: Sancerre Rouge, Chinon or Saumur-Champigny.
TEST
I prepared an eel stew to extract its delicious unctuousness and cooked rice there until it was cooked to perfection. I served it with one of the best Albariños in Spain, with a good alcoholic strength, alongside a great red wine from the Lisbon region, with its typical maritime climate tannins. The idea was to see if the alcohol in the white wine alone would be enough to dry out the unctuousness of the dish and also if there would be a harmony between the notes of the dish and the wine. Although the white wine provided a pleasant pairing, The Lisbon red wine was absolutely incredible with the eel rice. The tannins cleaned the oiliness better and this in turn cushioned the impact of the wine's polyphenols. The interplay of the eel's earthy flavors with the maritime red caused me emotion and made me think about this beautiful and mysterious animal that lives and tastes of the sea and land.