- 1kg/2lb 2oz smoked eel fillets
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 50g/2oz butter
- 16 small new potatoes, thinly sliced
- 12 baby leeks, trimmed
- 1 punnet pea shoots
- handful baby watercress leaves
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 275ml/10fl oz white wine
- 225g/8oz butter, cut into cubes
- 500g/1lb 2oz clams
- 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
- Season the eel with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat a frying pan until hot, add the butter and eel and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown.
- Bring a pan of water to the boil, place a steamer on top then add the potatoes and leeks and cover with a lid. Steam for 5-7 minutes until just tender.
- Mix the pea shoots and watercress leaves together in a bowl with the olive oil.
- For the clam beurre blanc, place the shallots, white wine vinegar and four tablespoons of the white wine in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and reduce the liquid until there is about two tablespoons.
- Add one tablespoon of cold water and continue to cook until there is one tablespoon of liquid.
- Reduce the heat and whisk in the butter, a cube at a time. Remove the pan from the heat and strain the sauce through a sieve into another saucepan.
- Meanwhile, heat a frying pan until hot, add the clams and remaining wine, cover with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes until the clams have opened. (Discard any clams that do not open.)
- Remove the pan from the heat and strain the liquid into a bowl.
- Remove the meat from half the clams and add them to the beurre blanc sauce.
- Add a little of the reserved cooking liquor to taste, then season with salt and black pepper and stir in the chives.
- To serve, scatter the potatoes and leeks over the plate and top with the eel.
- Scatter the leaves around the plate and drizzle over beurre blanc. Garnish with the remaining cooked clams.