Stir-Fried Eel with Bean Sprouts and Three-Colour Sweet Peppers

Why people make this dish

Eel (huang shan, the freshwater eel common in Cantonese cooking) has a long reputation as one of the most deeply nourishing meats available: warming, blood-building, and associated with strengthening the tendons, joints, and bones. This stir-fry pairs it with organic bean sprouts and three-colour sweet peppers — a combination that adds colour, crunch, and extra nourishment while keeping the dish light and accessible. For people who feel constantly fatigued, whose legs feel weak, or who are managing anaemia or the physical decline that can come with ageing, eel is a food worth knowing. The sweet peppers add a brightness of flavour and a generous dose of vitamin C; the bean sprouts add crunch and balance the dish.

Method

1. Have the fish monger blanch and clean the eel, then cut it into shreds (si). Rinse at home.
2. Wash the sweet peppers and cut into thin strips. Rinse the bean sprouts.
3. Heat oil in a wok until hot. Add minced ginger and garlic; stir-fry until fragrant.
4. Add the eel shreds and stir-fry over high heat until lightly coloured and fragrant.
5. Add the sweet pepper strips and bean sprouts.
6. Add a splash of cooking wine, then season with light soy sauce, a pinch of salt, and a little sugar.
7. Add the spring onion sections.
8. Toss everything together over high heat for approximately 10 minutes in total, until the eel is cooked through and the vegetables are just tender.
9. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil. Serve immediately.

Nourilo’s Tips

• The most important rule with eel: always buy live. Dead eel is genuinely dangerous — the flesh produces toxic compounds quickly after death. This is not exaggeration.
• Eel is a powerfully blood-building food. However, eating it in excess may stir up “internal wind” (nei feng) in predisposed individuals — meaning it should be consumed a few times a week at most, not daily.
• Those with skin conditions such as eczema or chronic rashes should avoid eel entirely.
• The sweet peppers can be varied — red peppers have the highest vitamin C content.
• Organic bean sprouts are crunchier and taste fresher than non-organic; worth the small extra cost for this dish.