Eel

Appears in

Published 2025

Type: Fat. Catadromous.
Characteristics: A long, slender, snakelike fish with a slippery skin. Flesh is firm, mild, and oily. Must be alive until shortly before cooking or flesh will be mushy. Skin before cooking and fillet or cut into 1½-in. (4-cm) lengths. Popular in Japanese restaurants (where it is called unagi), served filleted and grilled, basted with a soy-based glaze.
Weight: Typically 2 to 4 lb (900 g to 1.8 kg), but can be much smaller or larger.