Japanese rice in an eel parcel

Ingredients

(serves four)

8 eels "anago" in Japanese weighing about 40g each sliced open
1½cups Japanese sticky rice
Fresh asparagus spears

For the honey wine sauce:
200cc red wine
2 2/3 tbs lemon juice
70cc honey
50-60cc soy sauce

For the garnish:
4 leaves boiled cabbage
Black peppercorns crushed
Peanuts crushed
Finely chopped parsley
Seasoning

Method

Rinse rice 30 minutes before cooking. Cook in a measure of water which is volume-for-volume the same as the rice.

Make the cooked rice into small balls.

Clean eel and season.

Peel the skin off the asparagus. Boil and make a cut approximately 2½ inches through the centre of each spear.

Bind the rice balls into the asparagus. Wrap tightly with the eel. Baste with melted butter and place under a pre-heated grill until the eel becomes golden brown.

Heat the honey wine sauce over a low heat and cook until the amount is reduced by between a half to one third.

Steam the cabbage with a knob of butter and a drop of water.

To serve, place it with the grilled rice balls on the plate, and pour over the sauce.