| 1 | A favorite valencian tapa as well as a popular main dish, especially along the costa blanca. |
| 2 | A cold beer might go best with this piquant tapa. |
| 3 | Clean and skin eels and cut into 1- to 1 ?inch pieces. |
| 4 | Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a casserole or skillet, add paprika, and stir in enough water to cover eels. |
| 5 | Bring to a boil and add pieces of eel. |
| 6 | 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. |
| 7 | Stir mixture into casserole, add salt to taste, and cook for about 20 minutes or until eels are done. |
| 8 | Add more water if sauce thickens. |
| 9 | Serve hot. |
| 10 | 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 |
