Non-VegetarianVeneta cuisine Main Course

Bisato sull'Ara

Name: Bisato sull'Ara
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Veneta
Ingredients: 1000 g fresh eel; 20 g fresh bay leaves; 4 piece Garlic cloves; 100 ml Dry white wine; 15 ml white wine vinegar; 15 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 6 g Fine sea salt; 2 g Black pepper

Bisato sull'Ara is a traditional Venetian Lagoon dish of eel slow-baked with abundant bay leaves. Historically, glassmakers cooked it in the cooling kilns of Murano.

🇮🇹Italy· Veneto

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 60 min
Total: 80 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 480 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

1000 g fresh eel — cleaned, gutted, and cut into 5 cm pieces
20 g fresh bay leaves — roughly 20-25 whole fresh leaves
4 piece Garlic cloves — lightly crushed with skins left on
100 ml Dry white wine — such as Soave or Pinot Grigio
15 ml white wine vinegar — for a light acidity
15 ml Extra virgin olive oil — to lightly grease the dish
6 g Fine sea salt — to season
2 g Black pepper — freshly cracked

Equipment

•Earthenware or ceramic baking dish
•Chef knife
•Chopping board
•Aluminium foil

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 480 kcal
fat: 34 g
carbs: 1 g
fibre: 0 g
protein: 38 g
calories: 480 kcal

Instructions

1
Preheat your oven to 160°C (140°C fan).
2
Lightly oil the base of a ceramic or earthenware baking dish.
3
Season the eel pieces thoroughly with the salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
4
Arrange the eel pieces in a single snug layer in the dish.
5
Tuck the fresh bay leaves and crushed garlic cloves tightly between each piece of eel.
6
Pour the white wine and white wine vinegar evenly over the eel.
7
Cover the dish tightly with aluminium foil to trap the steam and moisture.
8
Bake for 45 minutes until the eel is tender and the fat has rendered.
9
Remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to 200°C (180°C fan).
10
Bake uncovered for a further 15 minutes until the eel is lightly browned and sizzling.
11
Rest for 5 minutes before serving with the aromatic pan juices.

Chef's tips

Ask your fishmonger to clean, skin, and portion the eel to simplify preparation. Packing the bay leaves closely against the fish ensures the aromatic oils infuse deeply into the rich meat during baking.

Ingredient substitutions

fresh bay leaves → dried bay leaves soaked in warm water for 10 minutes to soften
fresh eel → thick fillets of skin-on mackerel or trout, reducing total baking time to 30 minutes

Storage

Store leftover cooked eel in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Reheating

Reheat gently in an oven preheated to 150°C, covered with foil, for 10 to 12 minutes.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Baking at too high a temperature initially, which dries out the delicate flesh before the fat renders.
•Using too few bay leaves, which robs the dish of its signature fragrant herbal character.
•Throwing away the pan juices instead of spooning them over the fish and polenta.

Serving suggestions

Serve immediately alongside a steaming mound of soft white polenta (polenta bianca).Pair with a crisp, mineral-forward Venetian white wine such as Soave Classico.