Categories: Appetizers, Sauces 
      Yield: 10 servings 
  
      4 lb Eel                                14    Blanched almonds 
      1 tb Olive oil                           2 tb Chopped fresh parsley 
      1 tb Paprika                           1/4 ts Saffron 
      2 c  Hot water                           1 tb Olive oil 
      3    Garlic cloves; chopped                   Salt to taste 
  
  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. 
   
  Clean and skin eels and cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon 
  olive oil in a casserole or skillet, add paprika, and 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 smooth paste. Stir mixture into 
  casserole, add salt to taste, and cook for about 20 minutes or until eels 
  are done. Add more water if sauce thickens. Serve hot. 
   
  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 they do in 
  Valencia. 
   
  From: "Tapas, Wines & Good Times" by Don and Marge Foster. ISBN: 
  0-8092-4877-8