Eel Pie à la Saint-Martin

Ingredients

• 1 pie dough base (abaisse à foncer)
• pike forcemeat with fine herbs (farce de brochet aux fines herbes)
• eel escalopes, seasoned
• 100 grams onions, minced
• 50 grams shallots, minced
• mushrooms, raw, sliced
• 1 pie dough top (abaisse) or puff-pastry scraps
• butter, melted

Instructions

1. Prepare a pie dough base (abaisse à foncer) 16–18 cm in diameter and approximately 0.5 cm thick. Spread a layer of pike forcemeat with fine herbs (farce de brochet aux fines herbes) over it, leaving a small border uncovered.
2. Arrange eel escalopes (seasoned and firmed in butter) over the forcemeat. In advance, sweat the minced onions and shallots in butter, then combine with the raw sliced mushrooms. Layer this mixture over the eel.
3. Cover with another layer of pike forcemeat. Top with a second dough base or puff-pastry scraps, slightly thicker than the first. Moisten the edges lightly, seal them, fold the pastry edges into a rim (bourrelet), and brush with egg wash. Score the surface and cut a small steam vent in the center.
4. Bake in a moderate oven for 35 minutes. Upon removing from the oven, pour a few spoonfuls of melted butter through the steam vent into the interior.