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Sand eels

Nefyn, Gwynedd

Cockle-gathering tools - a large sieve, a rake and cocses.

It was not an uncommon sight to see whole families burrowing on the beaches on a moonlit night during the summer months, looking for sand eels.  The old custom of llymreita (collecting sand eels) was practised generally during the small hours of the first night of the ebb tide.  Working in teams of two or three, spades or sickles were used to burrow in the sand, and the eels, when exposed, were quickly caught and put into buckets or cans.

Pen-bryn, Cardiganshire.

Fish

The Recipe

You will need

  • approximately one quart sand eels
  • bacon fat

Method

  1. Wash the sand eels thoroughly, cut off their heads and squeeze out their entrails. 
  2. Fry them in bacon fat together with a sliced onion, if desired.
  3. Prepared in this way, they were usually served for lunch or for supper.

Nefyn, Lleyn.

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