Freshwater eel - a delicacy from Nghe An province.

Eels live in mud and are omnivorous, making them susceptible to parasites, so they must be cooked or stir-fried thoroughly. Eels are prepared in dozens of dishes such as vermicelli, soup, porridge, braised, stewed, grilled, stir-fried, hot pot, and salad… Northern eels are small, about 40 cm long and weigh a few hundred grams. Southern eels can weigh up to a kilogram.

Before preparing the eels, rub them with wood ash, lemon juice, and rice water to remove the slime, then rinse thoroughly with water. Alternatively, soak them in warm water for about 15 minutes to allow them to release their slime, then rinse them with salt water.

Eel dishes are available in many provinces, but in Nghe An, eel has been elevated to a tourist specialty and is also a nostalgic dish for people from Nghe An living far from home.

Eels from Nghe An are small, freshwater eels that are prepared in many dishes, most commonly in soups, porridges, noodle dishes, stir-fries, and grilled dishes. The preparation is simple, but the flavors are rich and evoke the spirit of the countryside.

Authentic eel soup should be made with broth from eel heads and bones. The cleaned eel meat, left in long strips, is stir-fried with shallots, garlic, annatto seeds, and turmeric until just cooked, then simmered over low heat. Serve in a bowl, garnished with fresh scallions and coriander, and eaten with hot bread, crispy rice crackers, or steamed rice rolls.

Eel porridge must be made with whole-grain rice, simmered until tender, not with finely ground rice or leftover cooked rice. The eel is cleaned, boiled until just cooked, deboned, stir-fried with garlic, and sautéed shallots (or small onions) until fragrant before being added to the porridge. When serving, add a little pepper, chopped scallions, chili, and turmeric powder for a fragrant, golden-yellow, piping hot bowl of eel porridge – perfect for eating while it's still steaming.

For eel vermicelli, you must use authentic mung bean vermicelli. The broth is clear and sweet, made from eel bones and heads (chicken or pork bones can be added), a little mushroom, and some crushed ginger and lemongrass. The eel meat is fresh, stir-fried until tender with spices, cooked just right, and has a sweet flavor. Arrange the vermicelli in a bowl, add the stir-fried eel on top, pour in the broth, and garnish with some fresh scallions and fried shallots for a delicious and warming meal.

For the eel dish served with rice crackers, it must be Do Luong rice crackers, grilled over charcoal. The eel is cleaned, seasoned, and stir-fried until tender with a rich sauce, each restaurant's own unique recipe. When serving, it's scooped onto a plate, mixed with herbs and roasted peanuts. The rice cracker is broken into small pieces, used to scoop up the stir-fried eel, and chewed slowly, allowing the delicious flavor to spread from the tip of the tongue.

Grilled eel is a bit more elaborate to prepare. Thinly sliced ​​eel fillets are marinated with turmeric, lemongrass, chili, and other spices. When grilled, a thin strip of fat is wrapped around the eel meat to prevent it from drying out, while the outside is wrapped in pandan leaves. It must be grilled over hot coals to fully bring out the aroma of the pandan leaves and the rich, flavorful marinated eel. Grilled eel served with white rice is incredibly filling.

Nowadays, the eel restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City that serve Nghe An-style eel not only prepare the dish in the traditional way but also import ingredients from their hometown, from eel, rice crackers, and shallots to other spices, so they are just as delicious as those in Vinh City.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/diem-den-hap-dan/luon-dong-mon-ngon-xu-nghe-20201224205740372.htm