Makes: 6 to 8 servings
Ready in: about 50 minutes
3 cups turkey stock (or store-bought chicken stock)
5 tbsp butter
2 leeks, white and light green parts only; sliced in half lengthwise, cleaned and cut in half-inch (1.5-cm) pieces
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
3 medium potatoes, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
12 ounces (340 g) mushrooms, sliced thick
5 tbsp flour
1 cup half-and-half cream
2 tbsp sherry
5 cups cooked turkey, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 cup frozen green peas
3 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper
One 397-g package puff pastry, thawed in fridge overnight
1 egg
1 teaspoon water
3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Put turkey stock in a pot and boil on high heat, uncovered, until reduced to 2 cups (500 mL).
Meanwhile, prepare all fresh vegetables and have ready along with chopped turkey, frozen peas, and fresh herbs.
Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add sliced leeks, carrots and potatoes and cook, stirring for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes.
Sprinkle flour over the vegetables in the pot and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until vegetables are evenly coated with flour and flour is no longer powdery, but golden from sautéing in the butter.
Gradually stir in the hot, reduced, 2 cups (500 mL) stock, then the cream. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a simmer and cook 3 to 4 minutes until thick and bubbling. Add sherry and stir until smooth.
Add the chopped turkey, peas and fresh herbs to the mixture, stirring. Add salt and pepper to taste (if you’re using homemade stock that wasn’t salted, you may need to add several teaspoons of salt.)
Pour filling into a 2-quart (2-litre) baking dish. Allow to sit at room temperature while you preheat oven to 400 F (200 C) and prepare pastry. Lightly flour counter and roll out one square of the pastry to the same10. Sprinkle top of crust with Parmesan cheese, reduce heat to 350 F (180 C) and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until top is beautifully browned and filling is fragrant and bubbling. (If edges of pastry become too dark, wrap foil from baking sheet up over edges to shield).
Place second piece of pastry on top of first. Use a floured small glass or cookie cutter to cut a vent in the middle of the two layers of pastry. Place dough over the casserole with sides hanging over. Tuck edges of pastry under edge of dish and crimp with your figures to adhere pastry to rim of dish.
Beat egg with water and brush mixture lightly on top of pastry to make it shiny as it browns in oven. Place baking dish on foil-lined pan (to catch drips) and place in oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then cover loosely with foil to prevent crust from getting too brown and bake for another 10 minutes.
Sprinkle top of crust with Parmesan cheese, reduce heat to 350 F (180 C) and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until top is beautifully browned and filling is fragrant and bubbling. (If edges of pastry become too dark, wrap foil from baking sheet up over edges to shield). shape as your baking dish, but a few inches bigger on all sides. Roll out second square to same dimensions.