Eel stew (bouilleture d'anguilles) is a very popular dish in the Loire Valley. It's made of eels that are left to marinate all night in red wine and cognac, before being cooked in a stock with the rest of the marinade, plums, and garlic lightly fried in butter. The recipe can also be made with white wine.
This famous dish was traditionally served at the banquet for the Baillée des Filles, a festival in the town of Les Ponts-de-Cé. On this special occasion, people would enjoy the fish and elect the queen of eel fishermen.