What is it?
Jellied eels is a traditional English dish that originated in London’s East End in the 1700s. The eels are chopped and boiled in a stock. When the stock cools down, it naturally forms a jelly. Jellied eels are eaten cold.
Eel is a nutritious food, and in the 1700s it was also very cheap and easily found in the River Thames. Because of its low cost, it became very popular in the poorer areas of London.
Preparation
The eels are chopped into small round pieces and boiled in water and vinegar to make a fish stock. Some recipes add nutmeg and lemon juice before boiling too. While boiling, the eels release protein like collagen which helps the stock to form a jelly when it cools down.
After it has cooled down, the jellied eels are served with vinegar and white pepper.
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- Chopped eels set in jelly
Eel, pie and mash shops
Jellied eels were traditionally sold together with another traditional London dish called ‘pie and mash’ – which is a kind of meat pie served with mashed potato.
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- Pie and mash with a parsley sauce
The oldest surviving eel, pie and mash shop in London is called M. Manze, which has been open since 1902. The M. Manze shop can be found in Peckham, South-East London.
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- M.Manze in Peckham, London
There are over 80 eel, pie and mash shops in London, so if you ever spot one, why don’t you pop in and try some jellied eels?
