Particular characteristics: Boiled stew made with "eel powder" or "Fish powder "(Yellow Ginger or Saffron of the Indies or Curcuma) Curcuma longa L, dried and grounded root .
Link to the natural landscape: The eel is from the Ria de Aveiro and adjacent rivers.
Ingredients used: Potatoes, eels, onions, garlic, parsley, “unto-de-pão” or “sal-de-unto”, olive oil, bay leaf, vinegar or lemon juice, white wine, water and eel powder.
Method of preparation: Wash the eels very well until they lose their viscosity and remove: the head and a thin "gut" located near the spine, scraping with a knife. Then, cook according to the stews. When cooked, add water with a little of vinegar or lemon juice.
Know how to make: It is usual to make a sauce, with a little syrup of the preparation, very spicy, to put on the plate, after serving.
Nowadays, in many cases, the “unto-de-pão e o sal-de-unto” is replaced with lard.
In certain areas, tomatoes or peppers are also placed according to taste.
This dish may present some variants, in its confection, according to the zone where it is prepared.
Product availability: Throughout the year.
Product history: In the past, eels were caught exclusively in the Ria de Aveiro, in streams and brooks of the region, so they were abundant and a well-made dish, because they were the very people who caught them. At present, this practice no longer exists, and the great majority is produced in nursery.
Representativeness in the local food: Dish widely confectioned in every region.
Product availability: Continuous offering.
Geographical area of production: Counties bordering the Aveiro estuary.