Noted Eel & Pie Shop

Located in the heart of London's " East End", within Roman Road Market, G. Kelly is a family owned traditional eel and pie shop established in 1937. Unfortunately, it is a dying business: one the shops in the same road has already closed down. They serve hand-made pies with a crispy top and softer base. The beef pie is really delicious and is served with mash and liquor. I had mine without the mash.

The photograph above shows a special secret recipe kind of parsley sauce.

G. Kelly also serves vegetarian pies with a soya mince and onion filing as well as fruit pies - cherry or apple.

 and fruit crumbles.

and the famous Jellied "Eels", not my cup of tea, but very much appreciated by the English.
The first pie shops begun to open up in London around 1915 around Bethnal Green area. Before that, there were the "street pie men" and the "street-sellers of pea soup and hot eels". The pie men sold meat, eel or fruit pies and would travel around the streets and visit taverns, summer fairs and the races. The eel sellers traded differently, having stalls and stands in the street, many around Old Street. Around this time however, both the street pie men and eel sellers' trade went into decline. This was attributed to the establishment of the new penny-pie shops. Within a few years the street sellers had almost disappeared...

Christmas Delight

For Christmas this year, 2010, I went to Exeter (Devon) to my dear Jonathan's family home and I had  Goose for the first time.
 Yes, Goose is back on the Christmas' menu!
The turkey appeared on Christmas tales in England in the 16th century, and popular history tells of King Henry VIII being the first English monarch to have turkey for Christmas.
The tradition of turkey at Christmas rapidly spread throughout England in the 17th century, and it also became common to serve Goose which remained the predominant roast until the Victorian era.
It was common for Goose "Clubs" to be set allowing working class families to save up over the year towards a goose.
Goose meat is richer and darker than turkey. It has a higher fat content, but a lot of the fat melts away during cooking leaving deliciously tasty and succulent meat.

After this delicious main course we had a traditional Christmas Pudding made with love and patience by Carol (Jonathan's mum). It took many hours to cook (6) and another couple to heat the beauty!

here it is, "blasting away" after the final touch, a Cognac bath, ignited!!!

Happy Christmas everyone!!! and thanks for reading...

See you next year!!!