Eel

Brush eel fillets with oil, season, and grill or roast at 200 °C for about 12–15 minutes, turning once, until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily. Eel is naturally rich and oily, so it usually needs little added fat.

Yes: cook fresh eel thoroughly rather than eating it raw. If you buy smoked eel, it is generally ready to eat; remove any skin or bones you do not want and keep it chilled until serving.

Ask the fishmonger to skin and bone it, or buy prepared fillets; eel skin is tough and the backbone is awkward to remove. Cut the flesh into short sections, pat it dry and thread it on skewers so it is easier to turn.

Smoked eel is served in salads or on toast, while grilled eel is popular in Japanese unadon, served over rice with a sweet soy-based tare sauce. Eel is also used in the French stew matelote, often with wine and herbs.

Serve rich smoked or grilled eel with sharp, fresh flavours: lemon, horseradish, pickled vegetables, watercress or a crisp salad. Plain rice and spring onions work especially well with grilled eel and tare.

Keep fresh eel in the coldest part of the fridge and cook it within a day of buying it. For longer storage, wrap it tightly and freeze it; thaw it in the fridge, not on the worktop.

Eel is particularly rich in vitamins A, D and B12, and is a source of selenium and phosphorus. A 100 g portion contains 13 g of protein and 28 g of fat.

Yes. Eel has 28 g of fat per 100 g, compared with 4.6 g in conger eel; conger also has less energy, at 114 kcal per 100 g, compared with 303 kcal in eel.