Paling in 't groen
 | |
| Alternative names | Anguilles au vert |
|---|---|
| Type | Fish |
| Place of origin |  Belgium |
| Main ingredients | eel, various herbs |
Paling in 't groen (Dutch) or Anguilles au vert[1] (French) is a Belgian dish, mainly from the Flemish Region along the river Scheldt, between Dendermonde and Antwerp. The Dutch name (literally 'Eel in the Green') refers to freshwater eel in a green herb sauce.[2][3] The traditionally home-made meal is also sold fully prepared but still uncooked by some fishmongers' shops or market stalls, and can be enjoyed in specialty restaurants.[4]
Preparation
[edit]Once the eel has been gutted and its head and skin removed, two inch long cuttings are simmered with a mix of finely chopped fresh herbs. These may typically be a selection of sage, ginger mint, oregano, sorrel, lemon balm (citronella), chervil, thyme, citrus thyme, savory, parsley, stinging nettle, spearmint, burnet, watercress, dragon's-wort (tarragon), chives, and basil. Finely chopped shallot, cornflour, a little butter and salt are added. The stew is done as soon as the white flesh could easily be separated from the bone but still stays on when stirred gently; the amount of starch should allow the sauce on a plate after a minute to be a thickly flowing liquid.[clarification needed] According to personal preference, a brighter green colour can be achieved by including spinach, though other aficionados reject this. Variations with beer or wine, lemon juice, egg yolk, or even with chicken broth do occur.[3][5][6]
Although occasionally eaten cold, the dish is normally served hot with chips or bread. Consumers may squeeze some lemon over the pieces of eel.
Eel production
[edit]The local river eel has become rare or unwanted because of pollution. Since eel farms offer a very fat and gastronomically less desirable product, wild eel is usually imported. It has become a threatened and very expensive species.[7]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Longuepee & Girard 2012.
- ^ Paling in 't groen Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine, Visit Flanders US (Retrieved 30 June 2011)
- ^ a b Paling in 't groen, een klassieker uit de Scheldestreek! (in Dutch), Wijzer(s).be (Retrieved 29 June 2011)
- ^ European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission (2001). Report of the Ad Hoc EIFAC/EC Working Party on Market Perspectives for European Freshwater Aquaculture: Brussels, Belgium, 14-16 May 2001. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. p. 97. ISBN 9789251047002. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
- ^ Het geheim van paling in 't groen ontsluierd Archived 2012-03-26 at the Wayback Machine (in Dutch), Vlaanderen Vakantieland (Retrieved 30 June 2011)
- ^ Paling in 't groen, een echte klassieker door chef Jan Buytaert Archived 2011-07-26 at the Wayback Machine: videos (in Dutch) for one variation, weZooz.be (Retrieved 30 June 2011)
- ^ The eel-good factor Archived 2011-10-04 at the Wayback Machine, Flanders Today (Retrieved 1 July 2011)
Bibliography
[edit]Longuepee, Frederique; Girard, Sylvie (2012). Larousse de la cuisine avec son lutrin (in French). Paris: Larousse. ISBN 978-2035869746.