Ingredients
Eels
- 1 kgfresh eel, cleaned and cut into 4 cm rounds
Stock
- 1 litrewater
- 1onion
- 2bay leaves
- 1 tsppeppercorns
- 2 tbspwhite wine vinegar
- 1 tspsalt
- a few parsley stalks
To serve
- chilli vinegar
- white pepper
- bread and butter
Directions
- Ask the fishmonger to skin, gut and cut the eel into rounds, which is unpleasant work and they will do it properly.
- Rinse the pieces and pat them dry.
- Bring the water to the boil with the onion, bay, peppercorns, parsley stalks, vinegar and salt, and simmer 10 minutes.
- Lower the eel pieces in and cook at a bare simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
- A bare simmer only. Boiled hard, the flesh shreds off the bone and clouds the liquid, and clear jelly is the whole point.
- Skim off any scum as it rises.
- Lift the pieces out with a slotted spoon into a bowl or individual pots.
- Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve or muslin, and taste it for salt and vinegar.
- No gelatine is added and none is needed. Eel is rich in natural gelatine and the cooking liquid sets by itself, which is why this dish exists at all.
- Pour the strained liquid over the eel to cover.
- Cool it to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight until firmly set.
- Serve cold, straight from the pot, with chilli vinegar and white pepper.
- The jelly is eaten along with the fish, and the small bones are eaten too or worked out at the table.
- It is a London dish, fed by eels once caught in the Thames, and it belongs to the pie and mash shops of the East End.
Technique
- It should taste clean and faintly sharp from the vinegar rather than muddy.
- The chilli vinegar on the counter of a pie and mash shop is not optional in practice.
- Eel populations have collapsed and European eel is now critically endangered, so source is worth checking.
Substitutions
- Ready-made jellied eels, sold in tubs, which is what most Londoners buy.
- Smoked eel, which is a different dish and not a substitute.
Variations
- Stewed eels, served hot in a green parsley liquor.
- With more vinegar for a sharper set.
- Served with pie and mash, which is the traditional pairing.
History
A cheap staple of Victorian East London, where Thames eels were plentiful; pie and mash shops have sold them since the 1800s.
Frequently asked questions
What is Jellied eels?
Jellied eels is a street food from United Kingdom: chopped eels boiled and set in their own savoury jelly, served cold. A cheap staple of Victorian East London, where Thames eels were plentiful; pie and mash shops have sold them since the 1800s.
How long does Jellied eels take to make?
Jellied eels takes 20 min plus overnight setting of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Jellied eels?
Yes, within limits. Ready-made jellied eels, sold in tubs, which is what most Londoners buy. Smoked eel, which is a different dish and not a substitute.
What is the most important thing to get right in Jellied eels?
A bare simmer only. Boiled hard, the flesh shreds off the bone and clouds the liquid, and clear jelly is the whole point.
