Equipment
Ingredients
Pastry Base
- 500 g puff pastry, chilled
- ½ g cayenne pepper
Mushroom Mousse
- 2 shallot, finely chopped
- 450 g cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
- 25 g unsalted butter
- 2 g salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 30 g tarragon leaves, chopped
- 30 ml madeira
- 200 ml heavy cream
Garnish
- 100 g girolle mushrooms, chopped
- 15 g unsalted butter
- 5 ml lemon juice
- 5 g chives, chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 775 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbohydrates
- 110 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 228 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 17 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 78 mg
- Potassium
- 1077 mg
- Calcium
- 169 mg
- Iron
- 9.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 66 mg
- Phosphorus
- 191 mg
- Zinc
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 295 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 7 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.8 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 6 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 1.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.72 mg
- Niacin
- 7.5 mg
- Folate
- 238 mcg
- Water
- 65 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Roll the puff pastry into a rectangle 2mm thick, ensuring it is large enough to cut twelve 7.5cm circles.
Place the pastry on a baking sheet and prick the entire surface with a fork.
Dust the pastry with cayenne pepper and cover with a second baking sheet to prevent rising.
Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.
Sauté the shallots and cremini mushrooms in 25g of butter in a frying pan.
Season the mushroom mixture with salt, pepper, and chopped tarragon.
Deglaze the pan with Madeira and stir in the heavy cream.
Simmer the mixture until the liquid has reduced by approximately one-third.
Transfer the reduced mushroom mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth and mousse-like.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle with the mushroom mousse.
Sauté the girolle mushrooms in 15g of butter for 3 minutes until tender.
Add the lemon juice to the girolles and remove from heat.
Cut 12 circles from the cooled pastry using a 7.5cm biscuit cutter.
Build each mille feuille by piping mousse onto a pastry circle, topping with a second circle, piping more mousse, and finishing with a third circle.
Top with sautéed girolles and chopped chives to serve.
Chef's Notes
- Ensure your puff pastry is well-chilled throughout the process to achieve maximum lift and flakiness.
- For a deeper mushroom flavor, consider using a mix of mushrooms like shiitake or porcini alongside cremini.
- Don't over-process the mushroom mixture; a slight texture is desirable. If it becomes too liquid, simmer it a bit longer before pureeing.
- Bake the puff pastry on the lower rack of the oven for the first 10-15 minutes to ensure the bottom cooks through and becomes crisp.
- The girolle mushrooms should be cooked just until tender; overcooking will make them mushy.
Storage
Refrigerator: 24 hours — Pastry will lose crispness over time.
Reheating: Reheat pastry components in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 5 minutes before assembly.
Troubleshooting
Pastry is uneven or too thick
Cause: The top baking sheet was too light or pastry was not pricked sufficiently.
Fix: Carefully slice the circles horizontally to flatten, though this may cause crumbling.
Prevention: Use a heavy baking sheet and prick the dough thoroughly with a fork.
Mousse is too liquid to hold its shape
Cause: The cream and mushroom mixture was not reduced enough before blending.
Fix: Return the mixture to the pan and simmer further before re-blending.
Prevention: Ensure the mixture is reduced by a full third and looks very thick.
Cultural Context
Mille-feuille, meaning 'a thousand leaves' in French, is a classic pastry composed of layers of puff pastry and cream. While traditionally a sweet dessert, this savory interpretation showcases the versatility of French pastry techniques, applying them to earthy mushrooms and aromatic herbs for an elegant appetizer.
