This one is a nice mix of great Italian and Greek cuisine. Using the filling of a Tuscan “Torta de Fungi” (porcini mushroom quiche filling) and delivering it in an attractive crispy Greek phyllo pastry basket, embellished with a thyme-mushroom mix tossed in white wine makes for a nice entree or a good main option for that vegetarian guest.
The porcini, well known Italian musrooms, are the significant taste in this dish and are a Continental kitchen favorite, being intense and strong in flavor. Porcini play a big role in Italian cooking, being used for tortes, risotto and pasta sauces, to name a few. Prized and expensive, they are never allowed to go to waste and if not used fresh they are dried and preserved, to be rehydrated and used at a later date.
Porcini mushroom and tomato phyllo basket
Ingredients
- 60 g dried porcini mushroom
- 1 punnet of champignon mushrooms
- Bowl of cold water
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced (retain used body of lemon)
- Several sprigs of Italian parsley, washed and chopped
- Small sprig of fresh thyme, leaves plucked and diced
- 100 g tomato paste
- 2 cloves of garlic, diced
- Nutmeg for grating, or pinch of ground nutmeg
- Small red onion, peeled and diced finely
- Knob of butter or margarine
- Fresh chilli pepper, seeds removed, diced
- 150 ml dry white wine
- Small handful of white flour
- Black pepper, coarsely ground
- Salt
- 200 ml boiled water to soak porcini mushrooms
- Small handful of grated parmigiana (optional)
- 3 eggs
- Olive oil for frying
- Canola oil for brushing
- Packet of phyllo pages defrosted overnight in fridge
Method
Brush the dirt off the champignon mushrooms, dice finely and place in the bowl of cold water with the lemon juice and used lemon body. Leave to soak for 30 minutes. Boil 200-odd ml of water. Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a small bowl, pour the hot water over them and leave to soak for half an hour.
Remove the champignons from the cold water and place in large sieve to drain. Remove the porcini mushrooms, set aside and sieve the porcini liquid through a paper towel to make sure all dirt is removed. Mix the tomato paste with the porcini juice and set aside.
Heat a frypan with a small amount of olive oil and the butter. When medium hot, add the diced onion and fry for several minutes until clear. Add thyme, diced garlic and chilli pepper and fry for a minute. Add lemon zest and parsley, then add champignons and rehydrated porcini mushrooms. Add a few grates of nutmeg or ground nutmeg, a pinch of pepper and salt. Fry until liquid in pan is mostly gone, then add white wine and cook down until wine has evaporated. Throw in the flour, turn heat down and mix with a wooden spoon until the flour is well integrated with the fried mushroom mix. Add porcini juice mixed with tomato paste and let simmer until thick. Set aside to cool.
Once cooled, break eggs into a bowl and whisk them well. Add the eggs to the mushroom mix, folding in well using a spatula or serving spoon. Add the grated parmesan cheese (optional). Season to taste, adding salt, pepper or nutmeg if needed.
To make the phyllo baskets, use either a large muffin mould or individual alloy muffin cups. Brush an upside down oven tray lightly with oil then place one sheet of phyllo, lightly brush with oil, add another sheet, brush with oil and a final third sheet, brush with oil. Using a pizza wheel or a knife, cut into six pieces and gently place in muffin cups, creating whatever shape you choose for the upper part of the sheets. Spoon equal measures, about 1.5 to 2 cm high, of the mushroom/quiche mixture into the unbaked phyllo shells. Preheat oven to 165 degrees Celsius, and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the phyllo leaves are lightly golden and crispy.
Thyme mushroom sauce
Ingredients
- 1 punnet of champignon mushrooms
- 5-6 cloves of garlic
- Small packet of precooked chestnuts
- ½ cup white wine
- Dash of olive oil
- Small bunch of thyme
- Small bunch of crisp green onions
- Salt and coarsely ground pepper
- Dry hot chilli flakes (optional)
Method
While the phyllo is baking, roughly cut the mushrooms into quarters (or eighths if large), cut the garlic in half lengthwise, cut chestnuts in half, pluck and finely chop the thyme and roughly chop the green onion. Set aside.
Add a dash of oil to a large fry pan and heat until hot. Add garlic and toss for a minute, then add mushrooms, chestnuts, thyme, pinch of salt and pepper and a very small pinch of chilli flakes, then toss on a high heat until starting to colour. Add wine, reduce heat to medium and cook until wine has evaporated, season to taste and add green onions as you turn off the heat; toss a couple of times. Plate your phyllo baskets and spoon the sauce equally over each of the baskets.
Serve with a glass of white wine or sparkling water.
Buon appetito.
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