New York Times Mushroom Pot Pie Food

MUSHROOM POTPIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a small pot. Place the porcini mushrooms in a medium bowl and pour the boiling water on top; set aside to soak and soften.
• Meanwhile, in a large (12-inch) ovenproof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Working in two batches so the mushrooms brown evenly, add half the oyster mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook, undisturbed, until browned underneath, about 3 minutes. Stir the mushrooms, then continue to cook until browned all over, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Repeat with 2 tablespoons oil and the remaining oyster mushrooms; transfer them to the medium bowl. Add another 2 tablespoons oil, then add the cremini mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, 6 to 8 minutes, lowering the heat as needed to avoid burning. Transfer to the bowl.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the skillet. Once the butter is melted, add the onion and cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the kale, garlic, thyme and rosemary, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons oil if the pan seems dry. Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring, until flour is dispersed and lightly toasted, 2 minutes.
• Stirring constantly, gradually add the stock, cream and 3/4 cup of the liquid from the soaking porcini mushrooms. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in the carrots, parsnips, potatoes, and the sautéed mushrooms and any accumulated juices. Strain the soaked porcini mushrooms, discarding any remaining liquid, then roughly chop the mushrooms and stir them into the filling. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (If making ahead, the filling can be refrigerated a day in advance; just warm it up slightly before assembling and baking.)
• On a lightly dusted work surface using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the puff pastry into a roughly 14-inch circle. Transfer to the top of the skillet, allowing slight overhang, folding under and pinching any overhang just below the rim of the skillet. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon water. Lightly brush the egg wash over the top of the puff pastry, then cut 5 (2-inch) slits into the puff pastry, starting near the center and radiating outward, like the rays of the sun, or create a stripe or crisscross pattern in the puff pastry by gently scoring it with a paring knife without fully cutting through. Crimp the edges using the tines of a fork, if desired.
• Set the skillet on top of an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and transfer to the middle rack of the oven. Bake until the puff pastry is puffed and golden, about 30 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

MUSHROOM BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Add 2 tablespoons butter or oil to a large Dutch oven or pot and set it over medium heat. When the fat is hot, stir in half the mushrooms and half the pearl onions. (If it doesn't all fit in the pot in one layer, you might have to do this in three batches, rather than two.) Without moving them around too much, cook the mushrooms until they are brown on one side, about 3 minutes. Stir and let them brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to transfer mushrooms and onions to a large bowl or plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat with another 2 tablespoons butter and the remaining mushrooms and pearl onions, seasoning them as you go.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Add another 1 tablespoon butter or oil to pan. Add leeks and carrot and sauté until the leeks turn lightly golden and start to soften, 5 minutes. Add the 2 minced garlic cloves and sauté for 1 minute longer. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add wine, broth, 1 tablespoon tamari, thyme and bay leaf, scraping up the brown bits at bottom of pot.
• Add reserved cooked mushrooms and pearl onions back to the pot and bring to a simmer. Partly cover the pot and simmer on low heat until carrots and onions are tender and sauce is thick, 30 to 40 minutes. Taste and add more salt and tamari if needed. Stir in the grated garlic clove.
• Just before serving, heat a small skillet over high heat and add 1/2 tablespoon butter or oil. Add half of the sliced chanterelles or oyster mushrooms and let cook without moving until they are crisp and brown on one side, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with salt and smoked paprika. Repeat with remaining butter and mushrooms. Serve mushroom Bourguignon over polenta, noodles or mashed potatoes, topped with fried mushrooms and parsley.

MODERN CHICKEN POTPIE

Steps:

• Heat oil and garlic together over low heat. When it sizzles, add bacon and onions and cook, stirring often, until fat is rendered and bacon is golden brown. Adjust the heat so the bacon slowly gives up its fat. Remove garlic clove and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms are browned and slightly softened.
• In a sealable plastic bag, combine flour, thyme, paprika, 2 large pinches salt and 1 large pinch pepper. Add chicken and shake well to coat.
• In the skillet with the bacon and mushrooms, add butter and melt over medium heat. Add chicken pieces and any flour that remains in the bag. Cook, stirring, until chicken pieces are golden and the flour on the bottom of the pan is browned. Pour in stock, Marsala and vinegar. Scrape bottom of pan, and let simmer about 5 minutes, until thickened. Taste for salt, pepper and vinegar and adjust the seasonings. Turn off heat and stir in parsley.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Transfer chicken and sauce to 9-inch round pie dish or 8-inch square baking dish. Roll out pie crust to desired shape and size. Drape crust over filling, making a few slits or decorative holes on top. Tuck edges down around filling and brush crust with egg wash. If the dish is piled high with filling, place on a baking sheet to catch any overflow before transferring to oven.
• Bake until crust is browned and filling is bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Let cool slightly, at least 10 minutes, before serving with a big spoon. If desired, garnish each serving with parsley.

VEGETABLE AND MUSHROOM POT PIE

Steps:

• For the mushroom stock: In a large pot, combine onion, carrots, garlic, ground dried mushrooms, fresh white mushrooms and 10 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours; there will be about 4 cups. Pour through a strainer lined with cheesecloth, reserving stock and discarding the solids.
• Return stock to the pot, and add tomatoes. Place over high heat and boil until reduced by half. Strain into a clean pot, and return to medium heat. Knead together the butter and flour, and add to the broth. Simmer for 5 minutes, and add lemon juice, Madeira, and salt and pepper to taste. Cool the stock by placing the pot in a large bowl of ice, then cover and refrigerate until well-chilled. May be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
• For the filling: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add fresh wild or cultivated mushrooms. Sauté until the mushrooms release their liquid, 5 to 7 minutes, and immediately remove from heat. Add the liquid to the chilled mushroom stock. Cover and refrigerate the mushrooms until well-chilled; there should be about 1 cup cooked mushrooms.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and set aside a large bowl of ice water. Cook or blanch vegetable one at time until each is barely tender, about 10 minutes for fingerling potatoes, 5 minutes for whole baby carrots, parsnips or turnips. Leeks and squash do not need to be blanched. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and place in the ice water to cool. When all vegetables are blanched and cooled, drain the vegetables, cover and refrigerate until well-chilled; there should be about 3 cups cooked vegetables.
• For assembly: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide chilled vegetables and mushrooms between two 1-quart ceramic soufflé dishes about 6 inches in diameter and 3 1/2 inches deep. Pour 1 cup chilled stock into each dish; reserve any remaining stock for another use. Top each dish with 1 tablespoon chopped herbs and 1/2 tablespoon truffle butter, if using.
• Cut rounds of puff pastry large enough to overhang the dish by 1 1/2 to 2 inches. In a small bowl or cup, beat the egg with the milk. Brush the edge of each round with the egg wash, then invert and place on the dish so the egg helps seal the dish. The puff pastry should not touch the filling or it won't puff when cooked. Brush tops of pies with remaining egg wash. Place dishes on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Check to see if pastry is golden, and if necessary, bake 5 to 10 more minutes.
• To serve, run a sharp knife around the inside edge of each dish, lifting off the dome in one piece. Place the dome at an angle, top side down, and ladle the vegetables onto half the dome so they spill onto the plate like a cornucopia.

WILD-MUSHROOM PIE WITH POLENTA CRUST

Steps:

• To make the crust, bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Whisking constantly, add the cornmeal in a very thin, steady stream. Turn the heat as low as possible. Cook for 1 hour, stirring vigorously every 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the porcini and water in a large saucepan. Simmer for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the mushrooms and broth. Coarsely chop the porcini and set aside. Return the broth to the pan, add the wild-mushroom stems and simmer slowly until reduced to 1 cup, about 25 minutes. Strain and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots; saute 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and 1/3 of the mixed wild mushrooms; saute until browned and softened, about 5 minutes. Place in a bowl. Repeat until the remaining oil and mushrooms are used.
• With no mushrooms in the skillet, add the sherry and simmer, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon, until reduced to 1/2 cup. Add the mushroom broth, all of the mushrooms, the salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and whisk in 1 cup of the mushroom mixture. Stir the egg mixture into the skillet. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the cornmeal mixture is hot, stir in the mascarpone, salt and pepper. Generously brush a 10-inch springform pan with olive oil. Place the polenta in the pan, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and press it evenly over the bottom and 3/4 of the way up the sides of the pan. Discard the plastic. Spoon the mushrooms into the pan.
• Bake the pie for 1 hour. Garnish with the parsley. Serve hot or, for neater slices, at room temperature.