The first time I ordered morena (moray eel) in a restaurant on Tenerife the waiter talked me out of it by saying it had an awful lot of espinas – little bones.
The next time I saw morena on a menu it was in Bajamar, said to be the one of the best places on the island for morena, and we were in the Cofradia de Pescadores. There was also a fisherman on the jetty right outside the Cofradia who just happened to be clubbing a moray eel. It’s a bit hypocritical I know, but it sort of put me off the idea.
Anyway, for one reason or another I never got around to trying morena over the years. I’d eaten the tiny eels (gulas), usually in scrambled eggs which is a nice combination, but not the big ones.
That is until late last year when I spotted it on a menu and decided it was time to rectify the situation.
It wasn’t quite what I’d expected. First, it looked a bit like a battered chop. Secondly, it tasted a bit like a battered chop – fat and all. It was more meaty than fishy and very, very tasty. The third surprise was although there were a couple of bones, there weren’t nearly as many espinas as I’d thought there would be.
The bottom line is that I’d order morena again in an instant.
Jack is co-editor, writer and photographer for BuzzTrips and the Real Tenerife series of travel websites as well as a contributor to online travel sites and travel magazines. Follow Jack on Google+
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