Steamed eel with black bean sauce on rice
Freshwater eel cleaned of its slime, marinated with fermented black beans, garlic and tangerine peel and steamed for ten minutes — silky, rich and wonderful over rice.
- 37 min
- Serves 2
- Steam
- Medium
Why it suits you: Qi-deficient people tire easily and speak weakly, and Liqiu's lingering 'autumn tiger' heat makes them sweat, draining qi further and dulling the appetite. Eel replenishes deficiency and builds qi and blood, and its tender flesh is easy to digest; black beans stir the appetite and tangerine peel moves qi so the eel never feels heavy. Steamed with little oil, it's great over rice.
Method
Prep 25 min · Cook 12 min- 1Rub the eel with the salt, pour over hot water, then scrape off the slime with the back of a knife. Rinse and pat dry.
- 2Rinse and lightly crush the black beans; soak the tangerine peel and shred finely. Mix with the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, cornflour and half the oil.
- 3Toss the eel in the sauce, leave for 15 minutes, then spread out on a plate.
- 4Steam over a high heat for 10–12 minutes until cooked through. Heat the remaining oil and pour it over, scatter with spring onion and serve with the rice.
Cautions
- Eel is quite oily, so keep portions modest if your digestion is weak; skip it during eczema flare-ups or gout attacks.
Chef's tips
- Ask the fishmonger to clean and cut the eel; scrape the slime off thoroughly or the dish will taste muddy.
The TCM view
Freshwater eel is sweet and neutral, replenishing deficiency, building qi and blood and dispelling wind-damp — long used for exhaustion and frailty. Fermented black beans settle the stomach and aid digestion; tangerine peel is pungent, bitter and warm, moving qi, strengthening the spleen and cutting the eel's richness; ginger warms the middle. Together they tonify qi and blood without causing stagnation.
