German cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Eel Soup

Hamburg-style sweet-and-sour soup with pieces of eel, dried prunes, apricots and root vegetables.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1 kg eel (prepared, in pieces)
• 1.5 l vegetable stock
• 100 g prunes (pitted)
• 80 g dried apricots
• 3 carrots
• 1/2 celeriac
• 1 leek
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Pour 300 ml warm water over the prunes and apricots in a bowl and soak for at least 30 min., ideally overnight.
2. Peel the carrots and celeriac and cut into strips, cut the leek into rings, and wash everything thoroughly.
3. Bring the stock to a boil with the bay leaf, add the carrots and celeriac and simmer uncovered for 12 min. until almost tender.
4. Add the dried fruit with its soaking water along with the leek and cook for a further 8 min., then season with vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper to a clear sweet-and-sour balance.
5. Add the eel pieces and poach on the lowest heat for 12–15 min. until the flesh comes away easily from the center bone – the soup must not boil.
6. Remove the bay leaf, sprinkle the soup with chopped parsley and serve in deep bowls with white bread.