Can we combine eel and crabcakes to create a delicious fusion dish?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the idea of combining eel and crabcakes to create a fusion dish, exploring various culinary combinations and flavor pairings. Participants share their experiences with different food pairings, including sweet and savory combinations, and express their opinions on the compatibility of flavors.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants share their successful food combinations, such as crushed red chilis and pickled jalapenos on pizza, and express interest in trying new ingredients like "Very Lazy" chilies.
  • Others propose the idea of combining sweet and savory flavors, citing personal experiences with dishes like Moroccan pastila and Thai chili with pineapple.
  • There are differing opinions on the compatibility of sweet flavors with meat, with some participants rejecting the idea while others recount positive experiences with such combinations.
  • A participant mentions the concept of using chemistry to understand food pairings, likening it to musical harmonization.
  • Several participants express curiosity about the term "lazy chili" and its application in cooking.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share a variety of opinions on flavor combinations, with some advocating for sweet and savory pairings while others firmly oppose them. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approaches to combining eel and crabcakes, as well as the broader topic of flavor compatibility.

Contextual Notes

Some participants reference specific cultural dishes and personal experiences, which may influence their perspectives on flavor combinations. The discussion includes a mix of anecdotal evidence and culinary experimentation without definitive conclusions.

Who May Find This Useful

Food enthusiasts, culinary experimenters, and those interested in flavor theory may find this discussion relevant and engaging.

  • #31
wolram said:
I had (water rabbit) one time in holland, i did not like it, then i found out what it was, eating water worms sounds just as bad. :smile:
I'm afraid to ask, what is it?
 
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  • #32
Why is it that even though I just finished dinner and am stuffed to the gills, you guys can always manage to make me feel hungry again talking about food? And I just had a delicious filet mignon too! Eel just shouldn't sound tempting by comparison, but it does. One of our stores carries beef from an organic farm, which I normally wouldn't pay much attention to, except I spotted the filet mignon, and there wasn't any non-organic filet, so I figured I'd give it a try...heaven! It's worth the extra price for the organic or whatever it is...I don't care how they raise their cows as long as they taste good. :approve: It was everything filet should be...flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and I cooked it just right! I pan-seared it in bacon drippings and garlic with sea salt, very rare. :approve: Yum yum yum. A simple side of cucumber with balsamic vinegar drizzled on it, and I discovered that balsamic vinegar actually tastes very nice on filet mignon when a little from the plate got onto a few pieces of filet. Now you all have made me craving something Asian inspired...something with sesame. Maybe I should have had the cucumber with some sesame noodles. But I don't have any more room in my stomach! :bugeye:
 
  • #33
Evo said:
I'm afraid to ask, what is it?

Well they are bred to eat, not wild, the wild ones are found in rubbish tips,
and all kinds of yuky places.
 
  • #34
My most favorit food ever is a T bone with stillton cheese grilled on top.

:!)
 
  • #35
Moonbear said:
Why is it that even though I just finished dinner and am stuffed to the gills, you guys can always manage to make me feel hungry again talking about food? And I just had a delicious filet mignon too! Eel just shouldn't sound tempting by comparison, but it does. One of our stores carries beef from an organic farm, which I normally wouldn't pay much attention to, except I spotted the filet mignon, and there wasn't any non-organic filet, so I figured I'd give it a try...heaven! It's worth the extra price for the organic or whatever it is...I don't care how they raise their cows as long as they taste good. :approve: It was everything filet should be...flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and I cooked it just right! I pan-seared it in bacon drippings and garlic with sea salt, very rare. :approve: Yum yum yum. A simple side of cucumber with balsamic vinegar drizzled on it, and I discovered that balsamic vinegar actually tastes very nice on filet mignon when a little from the plate got onto a few pieces of filet. Now you all have made me craving something Asian inspired...something with sesame. Maybe I should have had the cucumber with some sesame noodles. But I don't have any more room in my stomach! :bugeye:

We had rack of lamb tonight.. .I had a dry rub seasoning around it and then pan seared it before finishing it off in the oven. Served with roasted veggies and smash potatoes.

I am now sucking on an orange for desert. :)

Zz.
 
  • #36
Evo said:
The worst sushi I ever had was eel at the Hotel Okura, at their 4 star restaurant in Tokyo. Much too overpowering for me.

Eel is big in italian cooking.


That picture is not sushi. Its Teriyaki. AHAHAHAH While I was at the resturant with my friend, we saw this guy named flounder! He comes on a local radio show on DC101 called Elliot in the morning. He's so fat, AHAHAHHAHAAH. Smell my face! <This will make sense to me and Enigma, lol> AHAHAHAAHH
 
  • #37
That eel, called unagi no kabayaki, is used in sushi and its really just a barbecued eel with a sweetish soy based sauce, like teriyaki. It is also quite common to serve it placed over rice as in the picture and drizzled in eel sauce, which is another sweet barbecue sauce with soy, mirin, dashi and some other ingredients. That stuff is awesome. We just found a good sushi place in town, great salmon skin roll.
 
  • #38
My "contrasty food" contribution would be good vanilla ice cream with a thick balsamic and finely diced habanero peppers. Very pretty and very tasty.
 
  • #39
DocToxyn said:
That eel, called unagi no kabayaki, is used in sushi and its really just a barbecued eel with a sweetish soy based sauce, like teriyaki. It is also quite common to serve it placed over rice as in the picture and drizzled in eel sauce, which is another sweet barbecue sauce with soy, mirin, dashi and some other ingredients. That stuff is awesome. We just found a good sushi place in town, great salmon skin roll.

What I showed is not unagi no kabayaki, its unadon.
 
  • #40
cyrusabdollahi said:
That picture is not sushi. Its Teriyaki. AHAHAHAH While I was at the resturant with my friend, we saw this guy named flounder! He comes on a local radio show on DC101 called Elliot in the morning. He's so fat, AHAHAHHAHAAH. Smell my face! <This will make sense to me and Enigma, lol> AHAHAHAAHH
I know, I was talking about the worst eel I'd ever had, it just happened to be sushi.
 
  • #41
some link said:
UNAGI or grilled eel is one of my favorite Japanese dishes, whether served on a bed of rice (unadon), in skewers (kabayaki), or on sushi rice (unagi-zushi).

Oh, that's too bad Evo. I don't care much for sushi. It does not have much taste.

Yep, it is awesome :-p
 
  • #42
cyrusabdollahi said:
Oh, that's too bad Evo. I don't care much for sushi. It does not have much taste.

Yep, it is awesome :-p
This sushi would take the leather off the soles of your shoes, no lack of flavor. :eek:

I didn't really have have any good eel while in Japan, which is a shame.
 
  • #43
We all need to get together for a food fest.
 
  • #44
Evo said:
We all need to get together for a food fest.

That's why I planned all those Unofficial PF Gatherings!

:)

Zz.
 
  • #45
ZapperZ said:
I make this Thai green curry with beef that is hot and spicy enough to make your hair curl!

Zz.
Willing to share the recipe are you? :biggrin:

I just use Dave's Insanity or Mad dog Inferno. :devil:
 
  • #46
I am so hungry and all i have is some instant mash, a sprouting onion, cheese spread and a tin of fish and it is 3 .47 in the morning,
no shops open, my belly is growling. :cry:
 
  • #47
wolram said:
I am so hungry and all i have is some instant mash, a sprouting onion, cheese spread and a tin of fish and it is 3 .47 in the morning,
no shops open, my belly is growling. :cry:
All I have is pickles and a dab of peanut butter. Oh and a can of green enchilada sauce. :frown:
 
  • #48
Evo said:
All I have is pickles and a dab of peanut butter. Oh and a can of green enchilada sauce. :frown:

Well i have mixed all my stuff together, it is in the oven cooking now, you
can share if you dare.:smile:
 
  • #49
wolram said:
Well i have mixed all my stuff together, it is in the oven cooking now, you
can share if you dare.:smile:
Oh my...between the contents of your cupboard and Evo's, you don't even have a proper meal to put together between the two of you. The good news is, if you both combined your ingredients, the resulting concoction ought to spoil your appetite until morning when the stores are open again. :biggrin:
 
  • #50
Moonbear said:
Oh my...between the contents of your cupboard and Evo's, you don't even have a proper meal to put together between the two of you. The good news is, if you both combined your ingredients, the resulting concoction ought to spoil your appetite until morning when the stores are open again. :biggrin:

It does not taste to bad, i am not sure if sardines and cheese spread is a
discribable taste, the onion adds a bit of crunch, i think i will not eat it all.
 
  • #51
cyrusabdollahi said:
What I showed is not unagi no kabayaki, its unadon.

You're right, it is unadon, but I never said the dish was called unagi no kabayaki, only the eel. Either way, if it's got eel, I'll eat it.
 
  • #52
Yeah, eel is good stuff. Its up there with crabcakes... If we could combine the two...hmmm
 
  • #53
Try steaming spinach, broccoli with sherry, preferably dry, added to the H20 -- or solo. Chinese restaraunts typically do this.

Next special time you do pasta, try your standard tomato sauce. But, reduce a bottle of Chianti to about 1/4 cup -- a fry pan works well for this -- and add to the sauce. Makes a sauce with a huge and interesting and good flavor. I use olives, capers, green peppercorns, sometimes shrimp, with a basic Marinara Sauce.

Regards,.
Reilly Atkinson
 
  • #54
cyrusabdollahi said:
Yeah, eel is good stuff. Its up there with crabcakes... If we could combine the two...hmmm

Hmmmm...not a bad idea. I was planning to hit an asian store this weekend, maybe if I can find some good eel, I can adapt a recipe. There are numerous fish-type cakes out there, salmon is a popular one. I can see using eel with ginger, green onion, maybe five-spice powder, maybe a little wasabi, panko for bread crumbs...or else sushi rice (kinda like a risotto cake)...mmmmm, getting hungry.
 
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