Italian Oyster Mushroom Pot Pie
A buttery puff pastry crust covers a deeply savory filling of seared Italian oyster mushrooms, leeks, carrots and pearl onions in a rich red wine gravy. This is comfort food at its most ambitious — a Sunday-supper centerpiece that makes a single mushroom cluster feel like an occasion.
Ingredients
Mushroom Filling
- 1 1/2 lbs Italian oyster mushrooms from KC Mushroom Co.
- 3 tbsp olive oil divided
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 2 large leeks white and light green parts only, sliced
- 2 large carrots diced
- 1 cup pearl onions peeled, fresh or frozen
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dry red wine such as Pinot Noir
- 2 cups vegetable stock warm
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Pastry Top
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed but cold, about 14 oz
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp water for egg wash
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Pull the Italian oysters into bite-sized chunks along their natural grain. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high. Sear half the mushrooms undisturbed for 3 minutes per side, until deeply golden. Transfer to a plate and repeat with another tablespoon of olive oil and another tablespoon of butter for the second batch. Don’t crowd the pan — crowded mushrooms steam instead of sear.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining olive oil and butter. When the butter foams, add the leeks, carrots and pearl onions with a pinch of salt. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly caramelized.
- Stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Cook 90 seconds — the tomato paste should darken from bright red to brick red.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for another full minute.
- Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits. Let it bubble for 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol. Slowly whisk in the warm stock, then add the soy sauce, balsamic, thyme and rosemary. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 to 7 minutes until thickened to a gravy that coats a spoon.
- Return the seared mushrooms to the pot along with any juices on the plate. Stir in the frozen peas. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Fish out the thyme stems.
- Transfer the filling to a 9-by-13 baking dish or six individual ramekins and let cool for 10 minutes — hot filling will melt the pastry before it can puff.
- Roll the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a sheet slightly larger than your baking dish. Lay it over the filling and tuck the edges down inside the dish. Cut three or four small slits in the top to vent steam. Brush all over with egg wash and sprinkle with flaky salt.
- Bake on the middle rack for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is deeply golden brown and puffed and the filling is bubbling around the edges. Let rest 10 minutes before serving — the filling needs time to settle.
Notes
From the farm: Italian oysters hold their structure beautifully in braised dishes. Don’t shred them too small — chunky pieces give you the satisfying bite a pot pie demands.
Make ahead: The filling can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before topping with pastry and baking. The whole pot pie can be assembled (unbaked) and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
Variation: For a more traditional shepherd’s-pie feel, top with mashed potatoes instead of puff pastry. Brush the potato peaks with butter and broil until golden.