Kūčios is the name of the traditional Lithuanian Christmas dinner and is held on the night of December 24th. Christmas time is about family so the meal prep takes a good week as it is a collection of 12 different dishes. Meat is not served but fish is….so try making these tasty smoked eel vol au vents!
Defrost the puff pastry. Find round cutters that will allow you to cut a base and then the centre, big enough to provide enough room to hold the sauce. You will need to make 2 circle cuts per case, cutting one of the circles in the middle to allow for the sauce.
Preheat the oven to the directions on the puff pastry packet. Mix the egg with a little water. On a lined baking tray, place the full circles of the pastry on the tray and brush with your finger or a small brush, the egg wash around the outside of each. Then place the circle with a smaller circle cut out onto the top. The egg wash will help the pastry to stick together. Once finished, place in the oven and cook until puffy and just starting to brown.
While the pastry cases are cooking, place the butter, saffron and dill into a pot. Melt on a low heat and add the butter. Stir to make a paste and then heat until the mixture just starts to turn golden. Remove from the heat and add the half of the milk and whisk so that there are no lumps. Return to the heat and add the rest of the milk. Bring to the boil on a medium heat and cook until the sauce is smooth and shiny. Add the eel and cheese and stir. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.
Fill the pastry cases with the sauce and return to the oven when needed. You can make all the above in advance and just heat before serving. Fill the cases and bake in the oven until hot and golden.