Stir-Fried Shredded Eel (Chao Shan Hu)

Why people make this dish

Rice-field eel is prized in Chinese cooking as a nourishing food, traditionally associated with tonifying deficiency, strengthening the sinews and bones, and easing wind-damp — which is why it suits middle-aged and older adults so well. For this dish, the slimmer eels give the crispest flesh. Stir-fried shredded eel is a Shanghai classic: lovely with just bean sprouts, or with chives, and a few bird’s-eye chillies for those who like heat.

Method

1. Bone the eels, blanch the flesh briefly in boiling water, then lift out at once and rinse off the slime. Shred and marinate lightly with a little rice wine and oil.
2. Wash the bean sprouts. Wash the chives and cut into segments.
3. Heat oil and quickly stir-fry the bean sprouts, then lift out.
4. Add a little oil, fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant, add the shredded eel and stir-fry until aromatic.
5. Return the bean sprouts, season, then add the chives, toss a few times, finish with a thin starch glaze and plate up.

Nourilo’s Tips

Do not overcook the chives or they turn tough. The bones you remove from the eel can be pan-fried and simmered into a soup — good for those who are weak in qi and blood, or tired and run down.