la bourride d'anguille(eel stewed in white wine)
ingredients for four servings:
1.2 kg cleaned eel, 1 kg potatoes, 50 g lard or bacon fat, 100g onion, 100g flour, 50g garlic, 1lt water, 1lt dry white wine, parsley, salt, pepper, pinch of chilli, olive oil, thyme, bay leaf, 4 or 8 slices of grilled french bread

Place the olive oil, bacon fat, onion, garlic and chopped parsley in a pan and leave to simmer. Add the potatos and flour and stir well. Add the white wine, water and season to taste. Leave to cook for half an hour then add the eel. Continue to cook gently for 20 minutes. Rub the slices of grilled bread with garlic and put into a dish.
For those who do not share the French enthusiasm for eel, whiting, sea bass, sea bream or monk fish can be substituted.


petit pates de Pezenas
Pastry:
450g plain flour, pinch of salt, 225 lard(diced), 1 egg(beaten), water to mix
Filling:
225g minced mutton(or lamb), 110g shredded suet, finely grated zest of 1 small lemon, 110g Demerara sugar, salt and pepper

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the salt, lard and beaten egg and mix well, adding just enough water to make a firm dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hour. Mix the filling ingredients, adding seasoning to taste. Roll out the pastry 6mm thick and cut into rounds to fir your tins. Use half the rounds to line the tins then spoon in the meat mixture. Dampen the edges and place the remaining rounds on top, sealing the edges well. Make a little hole on top of each pie to let the steam escape. Bake at 200C/400F for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. Eat while warm.

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