A favorite Valencian tapa as well as a popular main dish, especially along the Costa Blanca. A cold beer might go best with this piquant tapa.

Variation: For an all-in-one meal or a main course, add peas, chopped carrots, or new potatoes or all three and serve over rice, as done in Valencia.

Instructions:

Yield: 10 servings

4 lb eel
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. paprika
2 cups hot water
3 cloves garlic, chopped
14 blanched almonds
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. saffron
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt, to taste

Clean and skin eels and cut into 1- to 1-1/2-inch pieces. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a casserole or skillet. Add paprika; stir in enough water to cover eels. Bring to a boil and add pieces of eel.

Meanwhile, with a mortar and pestle or in an electric blender, crush garlic, almonds, parsley, and saffron with enough olive oil to make a smallooth paste. Stir mixture into casserole; add salt to taste and cook for approximately 20 minutes or until eels are done. Add more water if sauce thickens. Serve hot.