Ingredients: 3 pounds fresh Eel, cleaned, and cut crosswise into 2-inch slices 3 tbsp. flour 4 tbsp. butter 4 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 3 hard-cooked eggs, quartered 1 small onion, peeled and cut into quarters 1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced 4 small bay leaves 4 parsley sprigs 1 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped 1 cup pale dry sherry 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg Rough puff pastry 1 egg yolk 1 tbsp. heavy cream 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp. salt

Serves/Makes: 4-6

How to cook Eels In Green Sauce:

• Wash the pieces of eel thoroughly under cold running water.
• Place the pieces of eel in vinegar and let it soak for an hour to lose some of its fat.
• Rinse well under cold running water, drain it well.
• In a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan combine the eel, quartered onion, bay leaves and parsley sprigs, and cover with water.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pan, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the eel is firm to the touch.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer the eel to a plate and strain the stock through a fine sieve into a bowl. Discard the vegetables.
• When the eel is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and separate the flesh from the bones.
• Spread the pieces side by side in a 6x6x2-inch casserole or baking dish and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• In a heavy 8- to 10-inch skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over moderate heat.
• When the foam begins to subside, add the sliced onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until the slices are soft and transparent but not brown.
• Add the sherry, chopped parsley, nutmeg, cayenne pepper and salt, and set aside off the heat.
• In another 8- to 10-inch skillet, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat.
• When the foam begins to subside, stir in the flour and mix thoroughly.
• Pour in 2 cups of the reserved eel stock and, stirring constantly with a whisk, cook over high heat until the sauce thickens heavily and comes to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 3 minutes to remove any taste of raw flour.
• Then add the lemon juice and the reserved onion-sherry mixture. Taste for seasoning.
• Pour the sauce over the eel slices, arrange the quartered eggs on top, and let the sauce cool to room temperature.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a rough square about 1/4 inch thick.
• Drape the pastry over the rolling pin, lift it up and unfold it over the baking dish.
• Trim off the excess with a small, sharp knife and, with the tines of a fork or your fingers, crimp the pastry to secure it to the rim of the dish.
• Gather the scraps of pastry into a ball, reroll and cut them into simple leaf and flower shapes.
• Mix well egg yolk and heavy cream.
• Moisten their bottom sides lightly with the egg yolk- and-cream mixture, and arrange them decoratively on the pie.
• Then brush the entire pastry surface with the remaining egg-yolk-and-cream mixture and cut 3 parallel 1-inches slits 1/2 inch apart in the top.
• Bake the pie in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325° and bake for 30 minutes longer, or until the top is golden brown.

Notes:

How to clean Eel: