Sometimes when I am in Maine, I can be found in the woods, foraging for things, be it blackberries or mushrooms. I have been foraging for chanterelle mushrooms since I was a young child, so please don’t follow my lead on doing this activity unless you know what you are doing. Then again, making these turnovers is highly recommended. They are delicious with all sorts of mushrooms, including ones that you find at the shops or farmers markets. I made them with the intent to be appetizers, but they’d also be great as lunch, a light dinner, or even a breakfast or brunch item. They are buttery and savory and a little bit bacony — all good things for me!
Ingredients
3 lardons thick cut bacon, cut to 1/2 inch pieces
1 shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 pound wild, foraged mushrooms*, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry sherry or white wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
6 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten
Directions
In a large skillet, melt the render bacon over medium-high heat. Once the bacon pieces are crispy, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic, 1 minute. Stir in the mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms give off their moisture and begin to color, 3 to 5 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until almost all the moisture evaporates and the mushrooms color to a rich brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the wine. Return the skillet to the heat and stir, scraping any flavoring from the bottom of the pan, until the wine is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the thyme and bacon bits, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set the mushroom mixture aside until cool, then stir in the grated cheese.
On a well-floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a rectangle measuring 16 by 8 inches; the dough will be just over one-eighth-inch thick. Using a ruler, divide the dough into 8 (4-inch) squares. Then place the squares on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, divide the filling into 8 portions: Gently press some of the filling into a one-third-cup measure. Unmold the filling and, using your hands, press the filling into an oval ball (like a small football). Repeat with the remaining filling; you should use all the filling. Set it aside.
Brush the beaten egg along 2 of the 4 edges of each square. To assemble the turnover, place one mound of filling in the center of each square. Working quickly, pick up a square and fold it in half diagonally and press gently, sealing the edges together (I do this with a fork). Continue forming the remaining turnovers, then check each turnover again to make sure the seal holds. Brush the remaining beaten egg over each of the turnovers and prick the top of each with a knife to form vent holes. Refrigerate the turnovers on the baking sheets for 15 to 20 minutes before baking.
Heat the oven to 42F. Bake the turnovers, 1 sheet at a time on the center rack, until puffed and golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through. Serve the turnovers warm or at room temperature.
* I used Maine Chanterelles for this recipe. If you absolutely can’t find foraged mushrooms, you can use crimini or shitake.
