SC - moray spines...

[Cindy M. Renfrow]

Robin Carroll-Mann wrote:
>
> I'm in the midst of translating the eel recipes in Nola, and all the recipes
> for moray eel have the same perplexing instruction.  They say to lash
> the eel well, so that all the spines/thorns will descend to the tail.  One
> should then cut off the tail.  (One recipe says that if you wish to play a
> trick on a friend, you should give him the tail to eat.)  Now, I've been
> researching the moray on the web, and have found out that its bite is
> toxic, as is its blood, but cooking will render it safe to eat.  And the
> traditional method of killing one is to hold the tail end and strike it hard
> against a stone or other hard surface.  This, I assume, is what Nola
> means by "lashing it".  However, as far as I can tell, none of the species
> of moray have spines on their tails.  Is this some kind of folk belief to
> explain why a poisonous fish is safe to eat after cooking?  Or is there
> something about moray anatomy that I am missing?


The only thing I can find is this reference for preparing fresh eels in
general:

"...if the eel is freshly caught... The easiest way to skin an eel is to
impale it by a nail through the head to a wooden post or similar structure.
With a sharp knife, cut throught he skin just back of the head, completely
encircling the head.  Turn back the skin and peel off as you would a glove.
When the eel is skinned, remove the head, tail, and entrails..."

Perhaps by 'lash' he means to 'lesche' or 'cut' the skin, so that you can
remove it by pulling it down towards the tail?

HTH,

Cindy/Sincgiefu