Jellied Eels

Jellied Eels (London Style)

A traditional East End London dish of freshwater eels simmered until the natural gelatin from the skin and bones sets the cooking liquid into a delicate, savory jelly. Best served cold with bread and vinegar.

Prep

20 min

Cook

90 min

Total

110 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1 kg (2¼ lb) fresh eel, live or freshly dressed freshwater eel (e.g., Anguilla anguilla); ask your fishmonger to skin and gut it, as home skinning is very difficult
• •1.5 L (6 cups) cold water, to cover the eel
• •15 g (¼ oz) sea salt, or 1 tbsp table salt
• •1 whole onion, peeled and studded with 4 cloves
• •1 whole bay leaf, dried
• •6 whole black peppercorns
• •1 whole lemon, juice only
• •1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
• •malt vinegar, to taste, the traditional accompaniment

Steps

1. 1 Cut the skinned eel into roughly 8 cm (3 in) pieces. Rinse under cold running water and pat dry. Rinse out any residual slime thoroughly.
2. 2 Place the eel pieces in a heavy saucepan or stockpot. Add the cold water, salt, studded onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, and lemon juice. The water should just cover the eel; top up with a little more water if needed.
3. 3 Bring slowly to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Skim any foam that rises to the surface using a slotted spoon. Do not boil - a hard boil will break the eel pieces apart and cloud the jelly.
4. 4 Reduce the heat to low and simmer very gently, uncovered, for 60–75 minutes. The eel is safely cooked when the thickest piece reaches an internal temperature of 70°C (158°F) on an instant-read thermometer, and the flesh flakes easily from the bone and pulls away cleanly when tested with a fork.
5. 5 Carefully lift the eel pieces out with a slotted spoon and arrange them in a shallow earthenware or glass dish (or individual ramekins), skin-side up. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring jug.
6. 6 Pour enough of the strained cooking liquid over the eel to just cover it (you may not need all of it). Discard the aromatics. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until fully set and quivery like a savory jelly.
7. 7 To serve, cut into portions, scatter with chopped parsley, and serve cold with cold malt vinegar for drizzling and thick slices of buttered brown bread on the side.