Jellied eels

A plate of jellied eels

Jellied eels is a traditional English dish that originated in the 18th century, primarily in London's East End. The dish consists of chopped eels boiled in a spiced stock that is allowed to cool and set, forming a jelly. It can be eaten hot or cold.

History

Manze's pie and mash shop in Peckham

The eel was a cheap, nutritious and readily available food source for the people of London; European eels were once so common in the Thames that nets were set as far upriver as London itself, and eels became a staple for London's poor.

The first "Eel Pie & Mash Houses" opened in London in the 18th century, and the oldest surviving shop - M Manze - has been open since 1902.

Although jellied eels are nowhere near as popular today as they were - at the end of the Second World War there were as many as a hundred Eel Pie & Mash Houses in London - they can still be found in the Eel Pie & Mash Houses that remain, and in some supermarkets. The water quality of the Thames has improved since the 1960s and is now suitable for recolonisation by eels - indeed, the Environment Agency supports a Thames fishery, allowing nets as far upriver as Tower Bridge - but lessened demand for cheap nutrition, competition from other foods and changing tastes mean that they have been marginalised.

Referred to as the "Most Challenging Dish to Prepare" By Gordon Ramsay.

Preparation

A bowl of eels set in jelly

The dish is traditionally prepared using the freshwater eels native to Britain. Typically, the eels are chopped into rounds and boiled in water and vinegar, to make a fish stock, with nutmeg and lemon juice before being allowed to cool. The eel is a naturally gelatinous fish so the cooking process releases proteins, like collagen, into the liquid which solidify on cooling to form a jelly, though gelatin may be added in order to aid this process. Recipes for jellied eels are individual to particular London pie and mash shops, and also street sellers; however, traditional recipes for authentic Victorian jellied eels all have common ingredients and cooking methods, what alters is the choice of herbs and spices used to flavour the dish.

Jellied eels are often sold with pie and mash - another traditional East End food - and eaten with chilli vinegar.

Outside the UK

Italy has a similar dish known simply as anguilla (simply "eel"), which is eaten with balsamic rather than chili vinegar. In France the dish is known as aspic d'anguille, and in Germany as Aal in Aspik; both terms mean "jellied eel". Spain as well has eel dishes, most notably angulas which are baby eels usually served sauteed in olive oil, garlic and a chili pepper. However, the Spanish dish angulas is now very expensive due to the rarity of the baby eels now after overfishing and the Spaniards' appetites for the tiny eels (a small serving of angulas can fetch up to the equivalent of $US100 or more^{[citation needed]}; however, there are also imitation angulas which can be purchased rather cheaply.)

External links

• Website dedicated to an appreciation of Pie, Mash and Eels. Crammed full of information
• The website of Barneys Seafood with links to their eels and stories about Eastend food culture and social history - please get in touch if you enjoy your jellied eels.
• Background
• Jellied eels story at The Guardian, 8 April 2002
• Jellied Eel Recipe - Historical Foods
• Jellied Eel is also the name of the quarterly magazine of London Food Link , the network for food businesses, writers and campaigners promoting healthy and sustainable food in London (UK on the website of Sustain: The alliance for better food and farming
• Website of the famous East London supplier of jellied eels