Southern Wild Mushroom and Cream Mini Pies

Combine 240g all-purpose flour and 3g fine sea salt in a large mixing bowl, and whisk together for 15 seconds until uniformly distributed.

Add 140g chilled cubed butter to the flour mixture and cut it into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender until the butter pieces are the size of small peas.

Drizzle 60ml ice water over the mixture and toss lightly with a fork, adding up to 15ml more ice water if needed, until the dough clumps together when pressed.

Divide the dough into two equal portions, flatten each into a round disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 60 minutes.

Melt 30g unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat at 180°C (356°F), add 400g sliced wild mushrooms, and sauté for 8 minutes until released juices evaporate and mushrooms brown nicely.

Add 45g diced shallot, 6g minced garlic, and 4g minced thyme to the mushrooms in the skillet, and sauté over medium heat at 160°C (320°F) for 2 minutes until translucent and aromatic.

Sprinkle 15g all-purpose flour evenly over the vegetables in the skillet and stir thoroughly with a wooden spoon for 1 minute to coat and toast the raw starch.

Pour 45ml dry sherry into the skillet to deglaze, scraping all browned bits off the bottom of the pan with the wooden spoon, and cook for 1 minute until the alcohol aroma subsides and liquid reduces by half.

Pour in 120ml heavy cream, 4g fine sea salt, and 2g black pepper, bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat at 95°C (203°F), and cook for 3 minutes until thickened into a rich gravy.

Transfer the mushroom cream mixture to a clean shallow bowl and cool completely at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes until cold to the touch.

Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) with the rack positioned in the center, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Dust a clean work surface with flour, unwrap one dough disc, and roll it outward from the center using a rolling pin into a sheet approximately 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick.

Stamp out six 10-cm (4-inch) rounds using a round pastry cutter; repeat the rolling and stamping process with the second dough disc to yield twelve rounds in total.

Place six pastry rounds on the parchment-lined baking sheet, spoon two generous tablespoons (approx 45g) of cooled mushroom filling onto the center of each, leaving an 8-mm clean perimeter.

Drape the remaining six pastry rounds over the filling, press down the rims lightly, crimp firmly with the tines of a fork to seal, and cut three 1-cm steam vents into the top crust of each pie using a paring knife.

Whisk 1 large egg and 15ml water together in a small bowl, brush the wash lightly over the top of each pie using a pastry brush, and sprinkle with 2g flaky sea salt if desired.

Bake the mini pies in the preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 25 to 28 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown and the cream filling visibly bubbles through the vents.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven, let the mini pies rest for 10 minutes on the pan, then transfer them onto a wire cooling rack to rest an additional 5 minutes before serving.