Eel with Borlotti Beans

Peel it offeel, gut it and wash it thoroughly. Cut it into regular pieces of about six centimeters, so that the cooking will be more uniform. Dry the slices before passing them through skillet: the dry surface promotes more evident browning and limits splashes during contact with the hot oil.

Pour the oil into a skillet and add the sage leaves. Heat the dressing, then add the pieces of eel and brown them on all sides. Cook until the surface is lightly golden and the sage releases its fragrance, without burning the leaves or darkening the oil too much.

Pour the white wine over the browned pieces and let it evaporate over high heatWait until the alcoholic aroma is no longer intense and the bottom is a reduced, fragrant liquid well-blended with the oil. Don't add tomatoes or beans yet: the blending must be complete before continuing.

Add the chopped tomatoes or the sauce dissolved in water. Spread the dressing around the pieces of eel and bring the saucepan to a gentle boil. Continue cooking until the tomatoes are combined with the oil and have a uniform consistency, leaving no watery particles.

Add the dried borlotti beans, previously soaked for twenty-four hours and boiled separately. Stir gently so as not to break the beans and let them absorb the flavor. pan juicesThe dressing should wrap eel and beans, keeping it soft but not excessively liquid.

Season with salt to taste and complete cooking until theeel It turns out tender and the bottom appears well-bound. Before serving, remove any fat that has risen to the surface with a tablespoonBring the dish to the table hot, with the beans distributed in the sauce and the aroma of the sage still recognizable.