Show-Stopper Mushroom Pithivier Recipe

A pithivier, if you are not familiar with the dish, is a dome-shaped pastry that originated in the French town of the same name. Traditional pithiviers were desserts, often flavored with frangipane (which is similar to marzipan), but more modern ones, such as this mushroom-filled recipe, are more likely to be appetizers instead. Developer Katie Rosenhouse calls pithiviers "endlessly versatile" since, as she says, "they can be filled with just about anything, sweet or savory," but here she is using a mixture of mushrooms because she enjoys the different textures and flavors. In the name of versatility, you can use any types of mushrooms you wish.

While this dish may look pretty impressive and is something Rosenhouse recommends for the holiday season, she says it's not too difficult to make, thanks to the store-bought puff pastry. She also notes that while French-style pithiviers are decorated with carved lines, she prefers using the resulting puff pastry scraps to form cookie-cutter shapes for a fun and whimsical variation.

For the pithivier filling, you will need mushrooms, shallots, garlic, white wine, stock (vegetable or chicken), crème fraîche or sour cream, plus olive oil and butter for cooking and salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and thyme for seasoning. You'll also need a box of frozen puff pastry and an egg for the outer shell.

Pour the oil into a large pot or frying pan and add 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, fry the mushrooms for 14-16 minutes until they are browned, stirring every so often. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste, then form a well in the center. Put the shallots and the rest of the butter into the hole and cook them for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the shallots are soft, add the garlic and cook it for a minute. Stir all of the vegetables together, then cook them for 4-5 minutes. When the shallots and garlic are brown, pour the wine into the pan and cook it for a minute. Pour in the stock, stir everything up, and turn off the heat.

Add the crème fraîche, mustard, and thyme to the mushroom mixture and stir them in, then season the mixture with as much salt and pepper as you feel it needs.

Line an 8-inch bowl with plastic wrap, plop the mushroom mixture into the bowl, then smooth down the top and cover it with more plastic wrap. Refrigerate the mushrooms for at least 4 hours, although up to 12 hours is okay. Rosenhouse says the reason for this step is "to make sure the filling is firm enough to keep its shape."

When you are almost ready to bake the pithivier, take the puff pastry out of the freezer and allow it to thaw for 15-20 minutes. As Rosenhouse explains, you want the pastry sheets "to be chilled but pliable for easy handling." If the dough becomes too warm while you're handling it, you can stick it in the refrigerator or freezer to firm it up again.

Preheat the oven to 375 F, then unfold 1 sheet of the thawed pastry and put it on a parchment-lined board or tray. Tip over the mushroom mound so it falls onto the center of the pastry sheet, then take off the plastic wrap. Beat the egg with a small amount of water and brush a ring of this mixture around the mushroom mound. Unfold the other pastry sheet and drape it over the mushrooms, then smooth it down to cover. Trim the extra pastry away, but leave 1 ½ to 2 inches of pastry surrounding the mound. Fold this dough border underneath itself, then flute or crimp the edges to seal.

The one necessary embellishment to the pithivier is a small hole in the top — Rosenhouse uses a pastry tip to poke the hole, but you could also use a knife to cut it. This hole is necessary in order to allow steam to escape while the pithivier is cooking.

You can also, if you want a classical-style pithivier, use a paring knife to trace lines from the top of the dome down to the bottom. If you'd prefer something more playful, feel free to use cookie cutters to shape the pastry scraps and them stick them onto the sides, as Rosenhouse does. Brush the remaining egg wash over the entire pithivier, including any optional dough decorations.

Use the paper to help you lift the pithivier onto a baking sheet without breaking it, then bake it for 75-90 minutes. When it is done, it will look golden brown. Once the pithivier is cooked, let it sit for 15 minutes at room temperature before you slice into it.

If you plan to reheat the leftovers, Rosenhouse suggests wrapping single slices in foil and baking them at 350 F until they heat up. As a final step, she says to remove the foil and continue baking until the pasty re-crisps. She also says you can freeze the pastry before baking it, then thaw it out in the fridge before finishing it up in the oven.