No. 4078 — Boiled Pickled Eel
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 4078 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
Prepare the eel as described in Part I, rubbing with sand and salt without removing the skin. Gut and wash in vinegar water.
Split and remove the backbone, halving thick eels lengthwise.
Season each long piece with salt and pepper, coil it and tie with strong thread. The source gives one teaspoon salt per pound fish.
Separately boil water with roots, onion, spices and rosemary, adding equal portions of mild vinegar and white wine.
When the liquid has cooled, place in eel rolls that were salted three hours earlier. Simmer covered over low heat for at least an hour.
Remove and cool, pack in a tub or jar and cover with fresh vinegar that has been boiled and cooled, as in recipe No. 3575.
Cover tightly with a wooden disk sized to the container. The author claims this eel keeps two or three months in a cold place and sells at a high price.