Braised Mi'Kmaw Eel Pie - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 -4 eel, medium-sized, skinned
2 cups flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lard
1/3 cup buttermilk

Preparation

Wash eels thoroughly. Cut a lengthwise slit down the side of each eel, about 1/8-inch deep. Slice into 3-inch pieces.
IN a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add eel and boil for about 10 minutes. Drain and remove the spine from each of the eel segments.
Place fish into a 9-inch cast iron frying pan or ovenproof dish. Add water to just cover the fish. Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes, until the water has run dry and the eels are browned on both sides. You will hear a sizzling sound - in Mi'Kmaw niwetesinkik. Remove from oven and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Cut in lard, using a pastry cutter, or mix with your hands until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With a fork, stir in milk, a little at a time.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead gently. Spread out; knead with the palms of your hands or use a rolling pin until it is about 1/2-inch thick.
Add water to the eel pan, to about half the depth of the fish. Lay the pastry over the eel; the dough should fit within the oven proof pan without falling out over the edges. Cut 2 vent holes in the center of the pastry and dab milk on the surface.
Bake at 400F for 35-40 minutes, or until crust browns. Watch that the water does not dry up,. If you hear a sizzling sound, add a little bit of water, no more than 1/4 cup at a time (this will probably just happen once).