Fish & Seafood · East London / Thames

Jellied Eels

Name: Jellied Eels
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 800g fresh eels, skinned and cut into 5cm pieces; 600ml fish stock; 1 onion, studded with 2 cloves; 1 bay leaf; 1 tbsp white wine vinegar; squeeze of lemon; 2 leaves gelatine (if the natural jelly needs help); Malt vinegar, white pepper and chilli vinegar, to serve

The East End on a plate: poached eels set in their own savoury jelly, eaten cold with malt vinegar and white pepper beside a pie and mash shop counter.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4
Difficulty: Moderate
Era: Georgian

Ingredients

800g fresh eels, skinned and cut into 5cm pieces
600ml fish stock; 1 onion, studded with 2 cloves; 1 bay leaf
1 tbsp white wine vinegar; squeeze of lemon
2 leaves gelatine (if the natural jelly needs help)
Malt vinegar, white pepper and chilli vinegar, to serve

Method

Simmer the stock with the onion, bay and vinegar for 10 minutes.
Poach the eel pieces gently for 12–15 minutes until the flesh flakes from the bone.
Lift the eels into a serving bowl. Strain the stock and reduce slightly; taste for seasoning and acidity.
If the stock isn’t naturally gelatine-rich, bloom and dissolve the gelatine leaves in it.
Pour the stock over the eels and chill overnight until softly set.
Serve cold with malt vinegar, a blizzard of white pepper, and no small amount of pride.

Oven temperatures are given in Celsius, Fahrenheit, fan and gas mark throughout. Quantities are metric, as cooked and written in the UK.