If Leeks Could Kill......

This is a lovely leek and mushroom pie, one of my mother-in-law’s dishes, that I’m thankful for having. It makes sense, then, that we made it for 2007’s version of our relatively new tradition: Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dinners. :o) We use frozen puff pastry sheets for this which tends to be on the thick side. Roll out the sheets a little when thawed if possible. The name? Uh... all I can say is that I asked my husband for a name and that's what he came up with. Tickled my funny bone, but it sure doesn't put a positive spin on this dish, does it. *lol*

• Ready In: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2  teaspoons butter, plus
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons butter
• 3⁄4 lb mushroom, washed and sliced
• 2  leeks
• 1  bunch fresh parsley
• 4  ounces ground hazelnuts or 4  ounces ground walnuts
• 3  eggs
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons flour
• 1  cup milk
•  puff pastry (enough to line a 8-inch spring form, bottom, sides and top)
•  salt and pepper, to taste
•  herbes de provence

Directions

1. Fry the mushrooms, stirring regularly, in 1 teaspoon of butter on medium heat until they are brown and crispy (approximately 15-20 minutes).
2. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and wash each half between the layers well to remove any grit/sand. (Leeks are notorious for this.) Slice the leeks into thin half-rings using all of the white and light green parts but not the dark green leaves.
3. Chop the parsley leaves.
4. Butter (1 tsp) the spring form and line the bottom and sides with puff pastry. Distribute the sliced leeks around the pastry bottom and sprinkle the fried mushrooms on top.
5. In a small pot, melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Add the milk until you have a thick but fluid sauce. Reduce heat to low, stir in the parsley and ground hazelnuts then whisk in 2 eggs and remove from heat.
6. Pour the sauce over the leeks and shrooms, then cover the top of the pie with more puff pastry, taking care to seal the top to the sides of pastry.
7. Preheat the oven at 350°F Separate the final egg and brush the yolk over the top of the pie.
8. Bake the pie for 1 hour, then take out and carefully slide a knife around the edge until the pie is loose from the side of the spring form. Remove the cylinder leaving the pie sitting on just the bottom plate and return to oven for an additional 30 minutes.
9. Serve with salad or simply with tomatoes and capers in vinaigrette dressing. A great Fall dish!
10. *Optional Note:* To brown the outer rim of the pie, which we didn't do for the photographed rendition, baste the sides with egg yolk just after removing the outside of the spring form pan at the 30-minutes-remaining mark.