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How Eels Almost Became the Thanksgiving Main Dish
thevintagenews.com ^ | Samantha Franco

Posted on 11/22/2022 7:23:31 AM PST by BenLurkin

Squanto giving the pilgrims eels made sense given the time during which he discovered the pilgrims. Eels do not like cold water. During the winter, they gather in large numbers to ball up and twist themselves together in the mud. This makes them easy to catch with the forked spears that were typically used by the Native Americans.

Native Americans would also harvest eels in large numbers by building river weirs in the autumn. River weirs arer small-scale dams that raise the water levels in a small area to allow for the build-up of (in this case) the eel population. After the eels were caught, they were dried and smoked for the winter. They provided a long-lasting, reliable food source.

When the first Thanksgiving meal took place the following year, it was very likely that eel was served at the table.

(Excerpt) Read more at thevintagenews.com ...


TOPICS: Food
KEYWORDS: eels; thanksgiving
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To: BenLurkin

i think a Thanksgiving raw bar would be great

i usually go to hooters for that on Thanksgiving


21 posted on 11/22/2022 7:39:20 AM PST by joshua c (to disrupt the system, we must disrupt our lives, cut the cable tv)
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To: Red Badger

English eat eels................. Indians no likum


22 posted on 11/22/2022 7:40:07 AM PST by Bob434 (question)
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To: Codeflier

if it was slimy they didnt make it correctly

baked oysters are not slimy


23 posted on 11/22/2022 7:40:36 AM PST by joshua c (to disrupt the system, we must disrupt our lives, cut the cable tv)
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To: joshua c

When I was a kid, my father and I would get up at the crack of down and drive down to Cedar Key, FL on the Gulf Coast, about an hour drive, buy a bushel of oysters right off the boat, come home and shuck enough for oyster dressing and then steam the rest on the grill using wet burlap bags laid over the top to create steam.

Everything was delicious.


24 posted on 11/22/2022 7:42:11 AM PST by srmanuel (I)
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To: rlmorel
English settlers would have been very familiar with eels as food. They're actually one of the most traditional items in that often joked about cuisine. Still served up today.

Oh, and they are delicious.

25 posted on 11/22/2022 7:42:51 AM PST by katana
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To: Army Air Corps

With a blender....................


26 posted on 11/22/2022 7:42:59 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: mware

—> Chestnut dressing is the best.

Recipe suggestions please!

🤗


27 posted on 11/22/2022 7:47:51 AM PST by aMorePerfectUnion (Fraud vitiates everything. )
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To: Red Badger
You can use the Super Bass-O-Matic 76!


28 posted on 11/22/2022 7:48:12 AM PST by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: fidelis

My first thought as well. I really like some of the stuff from that band


29 posted on 11/22/2022 7:50:11 AM PST by pepsi_junkie (This post is subject to removal pending review by government censorship officials)
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To: BenLurkin

We have an eel shortage in Indiana.


30 posted on 11/22/2022 7:50:55 AM PST by dforest
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To: BenLurkin

What kind of stuffing would you use with that?


31 posted on 11/22/2022 7:50:58 AM PST by DannyTN
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To: Army Air Corps

In the garbage disposal.


32 posted on 11/22/2022 7:52:10 AM PST by dforest
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To: BenLurkin

There are people on the upper reaches of the Delaware River near Port Jervis use native type weirs to trap eels

Eels are then smoked and packaged


33 posted on 11/22/2022 7:53:22 AM PST by njslim
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To: dforest
In the garbage disposal.

AOC would be stymied...
34 posted on 11/22/2022 7:53:51 AM PST by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: Army Air Corps

—> I don’t think that I have ever had eel. What is the best way to prepare it?

Take slimy eel from bucket
Clean guts out using Water Pik or power washer, depending on size of eel
Soak in apple cider vinegar to remove slime, then drain
Wrap each eel generously with bacon
Lay eels parallel in Pyrex dish
Cover with aluminum foil to keep moist
Bake For 30 minutes at 400 degrees
Remove and garnish plate with piece of Kale, simply for the pleasure of throwing the kale away after dinner.

Enjoy in a pilgrim kind of way!


35 posted on 11/22/2022 7:53:52 AM PST by aMorePerfectUnion (Fraud vitiates everything. )
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To: Army Air Corps
I don’t think that I have ever had eel. What is the best way to prepare it?

I've eaten fried eels from a street vendor in Holland, but canned eels are the only ones that seem to be available here. If I remember correctly, they have a mild taste, like sea bass.

36 posted on 11/22/2022 7:54:54 AM PST by Fiji Hill
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To: allendale

Also when the Pilgrims landed on Cape Cod they met an English speaking Indian who had dealt with English cod fisherman. Even then facts were never allowed to ruin a good narrative.

Samoset - was a minor sachem (chief) of the tribe


37 posted on 11/22/2022 7:55:46 AM PST by njslim
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To: aMorePerfectUnion
Wrap each eel generously with bacon

That alone got my attention.
38 posted on 11/22/2022 7:55:55 AM PST by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: Fiji Hill

Thanks for that info!


39 posted on 11/22/2022 7:57:43 AM PST by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: Army Air Corps

🥓 is the best!


40 posted on 11/22/2022 7:58:02 AM PST by aMorePerfectUnion (Fraud vitiates everything. )
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