They might be most famously eaten jellied, but there are plenty of ways to cook eels.
Here are two traditional recipes, which would have been commonly used in East Anglia in years gone by.

Read about Norfolk eel catcher Eilish Rothney

Norwich Fried Eels

2lb eels
2oz breadcrumbs
1 egg
Lard
A dessertspoonful chopped sage
Salt and pepper

Skin the eels, clean them well and cut them into 3-inch lengths. Season each piece with pepper and salt; leave for half an hour, then dry well. Mix the spoonful of sage with 2oz breadcrumbs. Dip the pieces of eel into beaten egg and roll them in the breadcrumbs and sage. Fry to a golden brown in boiling lard, drain well and serve.

Eel pie

1 eel
2 hard-boiled eggs
1 shallot
Pepper, salt and nutmeg
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Juice of half a lemon
1 oz flour
1oz butter
Puff pastry

Skin and bone the eel and chop it into short lengths. Put it into a saucepan with the seasoning and white vinegar. Add water to cover it. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Take the pieces out and arrange them in a pie dish with the egg thickly slices. Strain the stock in which they were cooked and make it into a foundation sauce with the flour and butter. Add the lemon and parsley and pour it over the fish and eggs. Cover the pie dish with a good puff pastry, glaze with an egg and bake in a very hot oven for about three-quarters of an hour.