Individual pastry parcels with a whole mushroom centre
A whole, substantial flower shiitake sits inside each golden pastry parcel with spinach and Cheddar. Cut one open to reveal the broad cap and delicate layers: a weekend main for two, or an inviting dinner-party dish with salad.
Times are approximate and include the stated soaking, preliminary cooking and waiting. Allow longer when needed, checking the hydration and doneness described.
Recipe illustrations; measure ingredients using the written quantities.
Briefly rinse the large flower shiitake, cover completely with plenty of cold water in a snug food-safe container and refrigerate, covered, at 5°C or below for about 8–12 hours or longer. Check the water level and add cold water as needed. If the centres remain firm, change the water and continue soaking in the fridge until even the thickest flesh is soft. Discard the soaking water, rinse and trim tough stems, keeping the caps whole. Do not soak overnight on the counter.
Put the whole caps in a small pan with about 750 ml fresh water, or enough to cover. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for about 60–90 minutes, checking and topping up with hot water. A small knife should pass easily through the thickest centre, with the flesh tender all the way through. If needed, cook for another 15 minutes and check again. Thickness affects the time; soaking does not replace this cooking stage. Drain and pat the surfaces gently with clean kitchen paper without breaking the caps.
Heat half the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook each side of the caps for about 2–3 minutes to drive off surface moisture, season lightly and transfer to a clean plate. Use the remaining oil to cook the garlic for about 30 seconds, then add spinach and cook for 2–3 minutes until wilted and cooked. Stir in the thyme. Drain in a fine sieve, cool enough to handle and press out excess liquid with a clean spoon, keeping hot liquid away from your hands.
Spread the mushrooms and spinach separately on shallow plates, cool promptly and refrigerate, usually allowing about 30–45 minutes. Protect from contamination while cooling and cover for refrigeration. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Before assembly, the fillings must be completely cool with no excess liquid. Keep the cheese and pastry chilled too.
Lightly flour the worktop and roll pastry to roughly 2.5–3 mm thick. Cut two bases about 4 cm wider than the cooked caps and two lids about 8 cm wider, making sure each can cover the filling height and seal. Put bases on a parchment-lined tray. Centre half the spinach and about 15 g cheese on each, add one whole cap rounded side up and top with another 15 g cheese. Keep a clean border of about 2 cm, brush with a little egg and cover with the lids. Gently ease out trapped air and seal with a fork. Keep the mushrooms whole and size the pastry to fit them.
Chill the assembled parcels for 20 minutes while heating the oven to 220°C conventional/200°C fan. Brush lightly with egg and cut a small steam slit in each top without cutting into the filling. Bake on a lower-middle shelf for about 35–45 minutes until deeply golden with a crisp, dry base rather than pale wet dough. Check the centre is steaming hot throughout, reaching 75°C for 30 seconds with a probe. Cover loosely with foil if colouring too quickly and continue until ready. Rest for 5 minutes, serving one whole and cutting the other to show its mushroom centre.
Contains wheat, milk and egg; check pastry for soya and other allergens. The Xianyitang dried-ingredient packs state that they are packed in a facility also handling peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and soya. Check the actual labels of every brand used.
Cool cooked fillings promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours at 5°C or below. Use within 48 hours of their first cooking. Bake only the parcels needed and serve immediately. Baking the chilled cooked filling is its one reheating, so do not chill the baked parcels for another reheating.
