The Chef: Ryan Poli (Tavernita)The Challenger: Chris Curren (Stout Barrel House & Galley)The Ingredient: Eel
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“They’re so creepy,” Poli said. He and his staff discovered just how slippery eels are when one slithered out of its container and fell onto the floor; it took several tries to retrieve the mucus-covered fish, which had a tendency to slip out of the hands of its would-be captors.
He used a traditional method, driving a stake through the first eel’s brain (nailing eels to a wall is also common), which killed it but didn’t stop it from squirming around. “We had to hold it down while we took the bones out, and then after that it stopped moving,” he said. “And then when we were putting the skewers through, it was still twitching.”
Video by Michael Gebert/Sky Full of Bacon
Who’s next:
Matthias Merges of Yusho, working with sea cucumbers. Poli discovered fresh sea cucumbers in Spain and loved them, so he kept trying to find them in the U.S. Finally someone said he’d found sea cucumbers for him. “They were dried, and I just remember them being really nasty and hard to work with,” Poli said. “Matt being the Japanese expert he is, he can come up with something creative.”
