Eels—Dried, Fried or Baked

Te Ao Hou, March 1964, Page 6

Eels—Dried, Fried or Baked And then the slaughter would begin. The fat glossy-skinned tuna would be lying, maybe lazily searching for food, in the shallow flood-covered paddocks. They were either speared or else bashed across the tail; this stunned or killed them. Then they were threaded onto a long piece of number eight wire, which I usually had to drag along. The next day they were cleaned and strung along the clothes-line to dry. The large ones were cut up and dried for tuna pawhara. Then for days we would feast on eels, rolled in flour and fried or else baked crisply in the oven with onions, seasoned with herbs. Nowadays I buy smoked eel from the fish shop. I like it steamed on top of a pot of potatoes, served with a rich garlic flavoured sauce, sprinkled with parsley. Even those who shudder at the thought of eating tuna will enjoy it, provided they are not told beforehand the name of the fish.