Sand Eel or Sand Lance

The sand eel or sand lance is not a true eel. It is of the genus Ammodytes which means "sand burrower" which is descriptive of the sand eel's habit of burrowing into sand to avoid tidal currents. It has a slender body, no pelvic fins and a pointed snout which were adapted for that purpose. 

Andrew purchased some sand eels in Koreatown which he brought home for a pre-Thanksgiving meal. They were heavily salted and attached together by an amazing network of yellow rope tied in nots.

The packaging

was very colorful

and captivating.

Andrew soaked them in water 

to get rid of the salt

which was preserving them.

Then he opened up the belly with a knife to clean out the internal organs and put the cleaned fish in a bowl with some fennel and other ingredients

and baked them in the oven. The final result was a little over-cooked (they were forgotten while other menu items were being cooked),

but there were amazing similarities to sardines (positive) as well as to sea horse (not positive). Because it was not as tasty as the other items we were eating that night (monkfish, crab and mussels) not much of it was eaten and I'm not sure we will be rushing out to buy them again anytime soon. But as with any kind of adventure, culinary or otherwise, some are more successful than others and you learn things about different types of food, and in cooking them, that aid you in the future.