joethefoodie Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 4 hours ago, voyager said: For eel virgins, here is an excellent tutorial. When I was in high school, worked in meat, fish, and deli departments of various local supermarkets in a supermarket chain, back when various local supermarkets had those departments well-staffed. (It was the Hills chain, for those who care). Around Christmas, we'd start getting eels. Sometimes alive, sometimes not. All I know is that the preparation process, for customers who wanted them prepped, involved hammers, nails, and pliers. And lots of rags. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
joethefoodie Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 I'll bet @Sneakeater et al. remembers a bunch of these...https://www.longisland70skid.com/long-island-70s-supermarkets/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sneakeater Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 Well I was out of grade school by then, but yeah I can somehow still remember. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
joethefoodie Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 1 minute ago, Sneakeater said: Well I was out of grade school by then, but yeah I can somehow still remember. Yeah, it's post our grade-school era, but...Bohack! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sneakeater Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 I think I can still remember those cuz they actually all existed during my grade school years as well. (Bohack!) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
small h Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 Kiikuya Chrysanthemum House, in Narita. I had an excellent unagi don, but first I had to walk past this guy killing eels in the doorway. At least you know they're fresh! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rozrapp Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 37 minutes ago, joethefoodie said: Yeah, it's post our grade-school era, but...Bohack! I was in high school when my family moved from the LES to Laurelton (1957). There was a Bohack (where we shopped) and an A&P. Ah, Waldbaum’s! Many years ago, there was one in Freehold. Even though it wasn’t the closest supermarket near our house, I loved shopping there. And was totally bummed when it closed. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
joethefoodie Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 43 minutes ago, small h said: Kiikuya Chrysanthemum House, in Narita. I had an excellent unagi don, but first I had to walk past this guy killing eels in the doorway. At least you know they're fresh! Similar to the pliers technique, and there's the nail! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
small h Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 Yep! He had a bucket of live eels by his side, and would dispatch and prep each one in less than a minute. Was the pliers for removing the spine? He used a knife. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
joethefoodie Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 45 minutes ago, small h said: Yep! He had a bucket of live eels by his side, and would dispatch and prep each one in less than a minute. Was the pliers for removing the spine? He used a knife. If my memory serves me correctly, the pliers were used to pull the skin off. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wilfrid Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 Digby Anderson, the 1980s Spectator food writer had a great column on prepping eels for Christmas dinner. Bring them home live, let them swim in the bath until you’re ready, then comes the nail. I have no particular desire to murder eels but I am ashamed I’ve never cooked fresh eel. I’ve eaten plenty of it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
voyager Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 1 hour ago, Wilfrid said: Digby Anderson, the 1980s Spectator food writer had a great column on prepping eels for Christmas dinner. Bring them home live, let them swim in the bath until you’re ready, then comes the nail. I have no particular desire to murder eels but I am ashamed I’ve never cooked fresh eel. I’ve eaten plenty of it. Eels in the bathtub was a major deterrent to our acquiring an otter as a pet in the early '60s. "Ring of Bright Water" apparently had a lot of unforeseen consequence as others had fewer qualms. We settled on an Old English Sheepdog, probably no less intractable but didn't require live food. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
small h Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 18 minutes ago, voyager said: acquiring an otter as a pet This…is an option? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
voyager Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 It was at the time. Robinson's on Maiden Lane was a purveyor of exotic pets. $300 at the time, and came with several pages of disclaimers. We fortunately came to our senses. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
small h Posted May 19 Share Posted May 19 Wow! I remember seeing chinchillas for sale in pet stores, but that's as exotic as it got in Monmouth County. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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