Jelly Eel
To make the jelly soak the gelatine in cold water until soft for about 10 minutes.
Jelly eel. Remove the pan from the heat add the gelatine and stir it in to melt. Jellied eels a traditional cockney dish for over 150 years this contraversial victorian snack is a love it or hate it delicacy. Jellied eels is a customary english dish comprises of hacked eels bubbled in a fish spiced stock with malt vinegar lemon juice dark peppercorns onion inlet leaves and parsley that is permitted to cool and set shaping a jam. In a small pan heat the vinegar and horseradish until almost boiling then add the sugar to dissolve.
It can be eaten hot or chilly. Cut through the skin around the back of the head with a small sharp knife. The dish consists of chopped eels boiled in a spiced stock that is allowed to cool and set forming a jelly. This will only take a minute.
The gelatinous dish of boiled eel is enough to make even the most hardened omnivores nervous but in the east end of london the inexpensve nutritious dish was once a stalwart of daily life. It is eaten cold.