Mijipjewey Ta'n Wejiaq Apaqtuk

Recipe by Betty Martin Doucette – Eskasoni, Unama’ki 

Ingredients:

8 large eels, cleaned and cut into 3-inch pieces

1 onion, sliced

4 potatoes, sliced

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Water (enough to partially cover the ingredients)

Lusknikin (Mi’kmaw bread dough or biscuit dough)

Instructions:

Preparing the Eels:

1. Choose large eels for baking.
2. Gut the eels and remove the slime by wiping them several times with a newspaper or a brown paper bag, starting from the head to the tail.
3. Hang the eels to dry for a day in a safe, dry place (e.g., basement).
4. Once dry, fillet the eels by cutting along the spine from the inside. Cut the fillets into 3-inch pieces.

Baking the Dish:

1. Preheat your oven to a high temperature (about 400°F/200°C).
2. Place the eel pieces in a baking dish.
3. Layer the sliced onions and potatoes over the eels.
4. Season generously with salt and pepper.
5. Add enough water to the dish to partially cover the ingredients.
6. Spread Lusknikin dough evenly over the top to create a crust.
7. Bake in the oven until the Lusknikin is golden brown and the eels are fully cooked (check after about 30-40 minutes).
8. Optional: Serve with BBQ sauce for added flavour.