Pithivier of Potato, Portobello Mushroom and Gruyère, Braised Leek and Mushroom Bisque

Pithivier of Potato, Portobello Mushroom and Gruyère, Braised Leek and Mushroom Bisque

This cheesy, potato pithivier (a round, enclosed pie made with puff pastry and various fillings) is filled with thin layers of mushrooms, spinach, Gruyère cheese and potato, and served alongside sweet-braised leeks and a creamy mushroom bisque. The Le Gruyère cheese gives this pithivier a deep, nutty flavor and pairs well with the deeply savory fried portobello mushrooms. This recipe takes time to make mostly involving set times....so read through the recipe and plan accordingly.

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Pithivier of Potato, Mushroom and Gruyère, Braised Leeks and Mushroom Bisque

Serves 4
3 hours plus 3 hours for setting the egg wash, and 24 hours for infusing the mushrooms

Recipe Ingredients
Mushroom Bisque
2 1/4 lb of button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 stick of butter (4 ozs,)
7 fl oz of whipping cream
salt
1 lemon, juiced
Pithiviers
2 large potatoes, red ones, sliced into 4, 1/3 thick slices
1 stick of butter (4ozs.)
14 oz of spinach, large leaf is possible
salt
finely ground black pepper
8 portobello mushrooms, peeled and stemmed
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp of thyme leaves
16 slices of Gruyère, cut into 2 1/2-inch rounds with the pastry cutter
all butter puff pastry, cut into 8 x 4 3/4-inch discs
3 egg yolks
Braised Leeks
2 tbs of butter
3 medium leeks, cut into 1-inch rounds/medallions
1 sprig of thyme
2 garlic cloves
salt

Preparation
Drop the button mushrooms into a very hot pan and cook until all the liquid has evaporated and they are dry.

Once dry, add the butter and cook until the mushrooms are caramelized and golden brown

Drain off any excess butter and just barely cover the mushrooms with water. Bring to the boil.

Remove the mushrooms from the heat and pour into a container. Seal with a lid and put in the fridge overnight to infuse.

The next day, strain the liquid through a fine sieve and into a saucepan.

Heat the liquid over a high heat until reduced, dark and syrupy

Add the cream, bring to a simmer and cook one minute more.

Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and lemon juice.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.

Cut out the potato slices into rings using the 2 1/2-inch pastry ring.

Add the potatoes and cook until tender.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tbs butter and add the spinach. Cook briefly, until just beginning to wilt, then tip into a colander to drain.

Put the spinach into a clean tea towel and squeeze out all the water.
Season the spinach heavily with salt and pepper, then put in the fridge to chill.

Add the remaining 1 stick of butter (4 oz) to a separate pan, and melt over a medium-high heat.

Add the portobello mushrooms, (what would have been the skin side) down and cook on a medium heat until golden brown.

Season with salt and turn the mushrooms over.

Add the chopped garlic and thyme leaves.

Cook the mushrooms on the other side, basting with the garlicky butter, for 5 minutes more then season again and remove from the heat.

Allow the mushrooms to rest for 10 minutes.

Take the mushrooms out of the pan and pat them dry.

Cut out 8 discs from the center of the mushrooms using the 2 1/2-inch pastry ring.

Chill the cut mushrooms in the fridge.

Place a 2 1/2-inch pastry ring on a square of baking parchment.

Put a mushroom into the bottom of the ring and then top it with a round of cheese.

Press in a thin layer of dry spinach and then another disc of cheese.

Add a potato disc, then more cheese, spinach again and more cheese.

Finish with a mushroom disc (facing skin side up).

The final layers should be: mushroom, cheese, spinach, cheese, potato, cheese, spinach, cheese, mushroom. If the stack is too high you may need to trim the mushrooms horizontally. Press down tightly.

Repeat this process 3 times to make 4 stacks, and then put them in the fridge (still in their pastry rings) to set.

Place four of the 4 3/4-inch pastry discs onto squares of baking parchment.

Put one ring of filling on each pastry disc, then remove the ring.

Brush egg yolk around the edge of the stack of filling.

Place another 4 3/4-inch pastry disc over the top of the filling and then smooth the pastry down the sides of the stacks, squeezing out the air as you go and closing it at the bottom.

Crimp the base to seal the two pieces of pastry and brush egg yolk all over.

Put the pithivier in the fridge to set the egg wash, about an hour.

Repeat this egg washing process two more times, leaving the pastries to dry each time, so you have 3 layers of yolk.

While the egg wash dries, make the leeks.

Add the butter to a medium frying pan over a medium-high heat.

Add the leeks, thyme and garlic to the pan.

Cook the leeks, without stirring, until they are golden brown on one side. Season with salt.

Turn the leeks over, and brown again on the other side.

Taste and adjust the seasoning, then pull the pan off heat and let the leeks to cool.

Once you have finished egg washing the pastries, cut a small hole in the top of the pastry to release steam as it cooks, and cut off the excess pastry from the base leaving a small lip.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Score the domes of the pithiviers for decoration as pictured and put them on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Warm through the leeks and the mushroom bisque.

Divide the leeks between 4 serving bowls.

Place a pithivier on each stack of leeks and pour around the warm mushroom bisque.

Taken on: February 23, 2025

Tags:

Recipe

Portobello Mushroom

Gruyère

Mushroom Bisque

Pithivier

Potato « less

Sets appears in: • February 2025 Fun In Photos • Vegetarian Cooking more » • Cookery • Home Baking & Home Baked « less

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