Filo Nest with Exotic Mushrooms
Crisp filo (also spelled phyllo) nests hold mushroom filling laced with ginger julienne. They are served with Tomato-Basil Butter Sauce studded with garlic-sauteed snails.
Ingredients
- Beurre Blanc Sauce
- Dry white wine - 1/2 cup
- Shallots - 2 large
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1/2 tablespoons
- Unsalted Butter - 1/2 pound, room temperature, quartered
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Filo Nests
- Filo - 2 sheets, thawed
- Salad oil for brushing
- Bread Crumbs - 4 tablespoons
- Mushrooms and Snails
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Oyster Mushrooms - 1/2 pound, julienned
- Bamboo shoots - 8 ounces, chopped
- Gingerroot - 1 inch, peeled and cut in matchstick julienne
- Scallions - 2, chopped
- Garlic Clove - 1, minced
- Snails - 28, shelled and rinsed
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Tomato-Basil Butter Sauce
- Tomato paste - to 2 teaspoons
- Fresh basil - 3 leaves, chopped
- Beurre Blanc - 1 cup, (above)
- Ripe Tomatoes - 1 small, skinned, seeded, and diced small
Instructions
To prepare the beurre blanc: Combine the wine and shallots in a saucepan. Cook to reduce to 1 tablespoon of liquid. Add the cream and heat until warm. Bit by bit, whisk in the butter. Adjust the temperature by moving the pan on and off the heat; at the first sign of yellow streaks, take the pan off the heat and whisk in more butter until the mixture emulsifies again. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain and set aside over warm water or in an insulated jar until ready to use.
To prepare the nests: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cut each filo sheet in half. Fold each half sheet in half. Lightly brush 4 souffle molds with salad oil. Coat each mold with 1 tablespoon bread crumbs. Put one folded half sheet in each mold, pressing gently into place. Bake for 10 minutes, until crisp and tipped with golden brown. Remove and set aside; keep warm.
To prepare the filling and snails: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan. Add the mushrooms, bamboo shoots, ginger, scallions, one half of the garlic, and salt and pepper. Saute until the mushrooms are tender and beginning to brown. In another saute pan, heat the remaining oil. Add the snails and the remaining garlic and saute until just warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside; keep warm.
To prepare the sauce: Warm the tomato paste and basil in a saucepan. Whisk in the beurre blanc.
To serve: Place one filo nest on each warmed serving plate. Fill the nests with the mushroom mixture. Garnish the plates with the sauteed snails. Spoon tomato-basil butter sauce around the nests. Garnish with chopped tomato.
