Week Twenty – Jellied Eels

Ello Guv’nors!

This week’s food first is jellied eels.

It is a food what is ‘istorically associated wiv da East-End ov London. Popular in da Victorian times, eels was seen as a cheap, readily available food saaahrce.

Freshwater eels are chopped in’er secshuns, boiled in water an’ vinegar an’ cooled. As da temperature drops, da stock – containin’ released proteins, like collagen from da eels – begins ter fawm a clear jelly-like substance.

The resultin’ meal can then be eaten ‘ot awer cold… Know what I mean?

 

I’m not sure if you managed to understand what you have just read… I thought I would try and make this week’s entry as authentically East-End as possible, so I chucked some of my finest, most beautifully-crafted Received Pronunciation into a Cockney translator.  What seems to have come out the other end is a cross between Frank Butcher and Ali G and possibly not entirely accurate cockney.

I guess it will have to do.

Any food vendor that mentions Pie & Mash four times on its shop front is fine by me

 

Four shucks sake!!

Jellied Eels are also a popular touristy snack in seaside towns in Essex and Kent, where they are readily available in ‘Pie and Mash’ shops.  I happened to find myself in the vicinity of one of these shops on a visit to the Isle of Sheppey.  If you’re not familiar with Sheppey, it is somewhat famous for being the only part of mainland Britain to be lost to an invading force since 1066 – when the Dutch occupied the island for a few days in 1667 – and has been described by perennial offence-causer, Jeremy Clarkson, as ‘a massive caravan site’ which is ‘full of illegal immigrants’.  During my visit, I didn’t notice any clog factories, windmills, tulips, canals or Ruud Gullit hair-dos, so I guess there’s not much of a Dutch legacy.  I did notice a number of caravans, however, but they were safely confined to a small caravan park and not prowling the streets causing trouble.

A quick purchase of four chunks (or four ‘shucks’, if you’re in the know) and a wander to the beach with my film crew resulted in the following piece of audio-visual wonderment for your perusal…

In review: –

I ate jellied eels

I also ‘ate jellied eels

So, there we have it…  Another new food crossed-off my list and the first I have accidentally placed on my shoulder.

I’m still behind schedule, I still haven’t eaten monkey brain or camel testicle, but a new revelation that I may never present my own TV show has surfaced.

 

Don’t forget to suggest any new foods you think I should eat or comment as you see fit…  Thank you!

Eels, you pilchards!