Andrea Nguyen’s Mushroom Pâté Puffs

In Vietnamese Food Any Day, from which this recipe is adapted, author Andrea Nguyen writes that the hors d’oeuvres were inspired by bánh pa-tê sô — domed-shaped savory puff-pastry hand pies that she loved eating for breakfast in Vietnam. And she points out that it was the French who brought puff pastry to Vietnam in the 19th century.

The recipe uses frozen puff pastry, one of our favorite cheater ingredients. Nguyen recommends Pepperidge Farm brand; we love all-butter frozen puff pastries, either Dufour or Trader Joe’s brand. For this recipe you can use half a sheet of either the Dufour or Pepperidge Farm puff pastry.

[Read: Author Andrea Nguyen brings unforgettable Vietnamese flavor into every home cooks’s wheelhouse.]

Makes about 30 puffs, to serve 8 to 10.

Ingredients

3 large or 4 to 5 medium dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 1/2 cup hot water for 15 minutes and strained, reserving the soaking liquid

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped shallot or yellow onion

10 ounces fresh white mushrooms, finely chopped, and including stems

Rounded 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme or 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Rounded 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 large garlic clove, put through a press or minced and mashed

One 7-ounce sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed as directed on the package

1 egg, beaten, or 1 1/2 tablespoons whole milk or unsweetened soy milk

Instructions

1. Discard the shiitake mushroom stems and finely chop the caps to yield about 1/4 cup.

2. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter (or warm the olive oil). Add the shallot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, until it begins to brown. Add the shiitake and white mushrooms, 2 tablespoons of the shiitake soaking liquid, the salt, pepper and thyme (if using). Turn the heat to high and cook, stirring frequently, for about 8 minutes, until reduced to half the original volume. If the mushrooms brown a little, that is okay.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the shiitake soaking liquid.

4. Turn down the heat to medium to steady the cooking and then add the garlic and the cornstarch slurry to the pan. Cook for 45 seconds to bind and firm up the filling, then remove from the heat. Let cool to room temperature. Or, to quickly cool it, spread it on a plate or small baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes, stirring midway through. You should have a scant 1 cup.

5. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to a rectangle about 9 3/4 by 14 inches. Cut it lengthwise into 3 strips, each about 3 1/4 inch wide. Spoon one-third of the filling onto the center of each strip in a long row, from end to end. Lift one dry long edge of each strip up and over the filling. Use a brush or finger to moisten the exposed long edge with water. Flatten the moistened edge with your thumb, then roll the log over that edge to seal. Repeat with the remaining strips and filling.

6. Transfer the logs to a second baking sheet or pan and freeze for about 5 minutes, or refrigerate for 20 minutes, in order to firm up the logs and facilitate clean cuts; the puffs will bake better as a result. Then, cut each log on the diagonal at 1-inch intervals. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, seam-side down, spaced 1 inch apart, and brush the tops with the egg.

7. Bake the pastry for 20 to 22 minutes, until puffed, crisped and browned. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.

Recipe notes: We tested this recipe using Dufour brand frozen puff pastry, butter (rather than olive oil), shallot (rather than yellow onion), fresh thyme (rather than dried) and an egg wash (rather than milk or soy milk).