Name: Smoked eel, apple and rocket salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 smoked eel (about 700gm), skinned, backbone discarded (see note); 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into julienne; 1 small fennel bulb, finely shaved on a mandolin; 25 gm wild rocket leaves; Apple dressing; 75 ml verjuice; ½ Granny Smith apple; 1 golden shallot; 75 ml peanut oil; 25 ml olive oil; ¼ tsp sesame oil; 2 tsp wholegrain mustard; 1 tsp soy sauce, or to taste; 1½ tsp white sugar, or to taste

Smoked eel, apple and rocket salad

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for smoked eel, apple and rocket salad by Dave Pegrum from Sydney restaurant Bronte Road Bistro.

Serves 4

Prep

15M

“I’ve never enjoyed eel so much as I did at Sydney’s Bronte Road Bistro. I’d love Dave Pegrum’s smoked eel, apple and rocket salad recipe so I can impress my wife.”

Alan Hall, via email

To request a recipe, write to Fare Exchange, , GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW 2001, or email us. All requests should include the restaurant’s name and address or business card, as well as your name and address.

Ingredients

1 smoked eel (about 700gm), skinned, backbone discarded (see note)

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into julienne

1 small fennel bulb, finely shaved on a mandolin

25 gm wild rocket leaves

Apple dressing

75 ml verjuice

½ Granny Smith apple

1 golden shallot

75 ml peanut oil

25 ml olive oil

¼ tsp sesame oil

2 tsp wholegrain mustard

1 tsp soy sauce, or to taste

1½ tsp white sugar, or to taste

Method

Main

1.For apple dressing, place verjuice in a bowl, coarsely grate over apple and combine (this prevents oxidisation). Coarsely grate shallot into a fine strainer, rinse under cold water, squeeze out excess water and add to apple mixture. Add oils and mustard, stir to combine, season to taste with soy sauce, sugar, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside. Makes about 200ml.

2.Halve eel lengthways, cut into 5cm batons and set aside. Combine apple, fennel and rocket in a bowl, dress with 60ml dressing and adjust seasoning to taste. Arrange eel on plates, top with salad, drizzle with remaining dressing and serve immediately.