Mushroom, Leek & Thyme Hand Pies
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By Thursday evening, the kitchen wanted something warmer.
It was too early for soup, and a casserole felt unnecessarily official. September has cooled at the edges, but the cottage has not yet become a rehearsal space for Thanksgiving.
Small savory hand pies seemed reasonable.
I began with the leek, which looked clean until I sliced it open and discovered approximately one cottage garden’s worth of soil tucked between the layers. Leeks are private vegetables. They keep things from you.
Once it had been thoroughly washed, I chopped the mushrooms and tipped them into a hot skillet with butter. They appeared alarmingly abundant at first, heaped nearly to the rim as though I had made a serious error in judgment.
Then they collapsed.
I consider this suspicious, but useful.
When the pan had gone mostly dry, I added the leek and let it soften. Garlic and thyme went in near the end, filling the kitchen with the sort of smell that makes everyone nearby suddenly interested in what you are doing.
Smokey arrived without explanation and sat beside the stove.
He does not eat mushrooms. This did not lessen his involvement.
I left the filling to cool while I rolled out the pastry. Refrigerated pie crust works perfectly well here too, particularly on evenings when making pastry from scratch would cause you to become unreasonable.
The first hand pie received far too much filling and refused to close.
The first one is apparently where the pastry and I establish our terms.
I removed a spoonful.
It closed.
I ate the spoonful.
Problem solved.
The remaining pies became increasingly competent. None were identical, though all were recognizably related. I brushed them with egg wash, cut a small vent in each top, and slid the baking sheet into the oven.
By the time they emerged, deeply golden and crisp at the edges, I had put Monday’s cardigan back on. One pie had leaked a little ribbon of cheese onto the baking sheet.
That one was obviously the cook’s.
We ate them warm rather than scalding hot, which required nearly seven full minutes of restraint. The pastry flaked over my plate. The filling was earthy and peppery, with soft leek, thyme, and enough sharp cheese to make the whole thing feel substantial.
Exactly right for a cool September evening.
Mushroom, Leek & Thyme Hand Pies
Makes approximately 6–8, depending on size
Ingredients
- 8 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Black pepper
- ⅓ cup grated sharp cheddar, Gruyère, or similar cheese
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional
- 1 batch savory pie dough or refrigerated pie crust
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon water
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice the leek lengthwise, rinse thoroughly between the layers, and slice thinly.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have released their moisture and the pan is relatively dry, about 7–10 minutes.
Add the leek and cook until soft, about 4–5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for another minute.
Season with salt and black pepper. Stir in the Dijon, if using, then remove the skillet from the heat. Allow the filling to cool before stirring in the grated cheese.
Roll out the pastry and cut it into circles or rectangles. Place a modest spoonful of filling on one half of each piece, leaving room around the edges.
Beat the egg with the water. Brush a little around the pastry edges, fold the dough over the filling, and press closed. Crimp with a fork. If a pie refuses to close, remove some filling and eat it. This is part of the method.
Arrange the pies on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with egg wash and cut a small steam vent in each one.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, depending on their size and the pastry used, until deeply golden and crisp.
Let them rest for a few minutes before eating. Warm is lovely. The roof of your mouth need not be involved in the cooking process.
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