A Culinary Adventure

I really got into all things English on this trip home, including food - greasy breakfasts with black pudding, fish and soggy chips with mushy peas, Devonshire cream teas - i've no idea why people think the English can't cook. This particular experience, however, was a real challenge to my nostalgic reverie. We found a seafood shack on Deal beach and I ordered (clockwise from left in the picture below) jellied eels, whelks and cockles. Not brave enough to sample them on the beach where I might spit them out on some poor unsuspecting pensioner, I took them home which was probably a good thing. The cockles were great with salt and vinegar, definitely recommended (even my young niece and nephew liked these). The whelks were, well, meaty and took quite a bit of chewing. I don't think whelks are for me. The jellied eels, an East London speciality, hmmm...I love eels but the jelly didn't go down well with me at all...there's a before and after shot below.