Mushroom, Spring Onion and Chilli Crisp Filo Bake

How to make it

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the mushrooms. Heat a large wide skillet over high heat — genuinely high, not medium-high. Add 2 tablespoons of neutral oil. When it shimmers and just starts to smoke, add the mushrooms in a single layer. Do not stir for the first 2 minutes. Let them sit and color. Then stir and continue cooking, stirring every minute or so, until all the moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms are deeply golden and slightly chewy — this takes 8 to 10 minutes total. If they're steaming and looking wet, turn the heat up. Undercooked, soggy mushrooms will make the filo wet, so take them all the way.

   
2. 2

   Build the filling. Push the mushrooms to one side of the skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the empty space, and fry the garlic and the white parts of the spring onions for 1—2 minutes until fragrant and lightly softened. Mix everything together. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil — it will sizzle loudly and reduce almost immediately. Stir to coat. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the green parts of the spring onions, toasted sesame seeds, and black pepper. Taste and adjust salt. Spread the filling onto a plate or tray and let it cool to room temperature — at least 15 minutes. Hot filling will steam and wilt the filo before it has a chance to bake.

   
3. 3

   Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Make the chilli butter: stir the melted butter and chilli crisp together in a small bowl until combined. The oil from the chilli crisp will marble into the butter — that's fine, just stir before each use.

4. 4

   Assemble the bake. Brush the bottom and sides of a 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 inch) baking dish generously with the chilli butter. Working quickly — filo dries out fast, so keep the unused sheets covered with a damp tea towel — lay one sheet of filo into the dish, letting the excess hang over the sides. Brush it with chilli butter. Repeat with 5 more sheets, brushing each one, so you have 6 buttered layers as your base.

   
5. 5

   Spread all of the mushroom filling evenly over the filo base, pressing it into a flat, even layer. Now lay the remaining 6 sheets of filo on top, brushing each with chilli butter as you go. Tuck the overhanging edges of the bottom layers up and over the top sheets to seal the sides. Brush the entire top surface generously with chilli butter — don't be shy here, this is where the color and flavor come from.

6. 6

   Score the top. Using a sharp knife, cut through only the top filo layers in a diamond or square pattern — about 5 cm apart. This stops the pastry from shattering chaotically when you cut it later. Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt.

   
7. 7

   Bake for 28—32 minutes until the top is deep amber-gold with darker patches at the edges and the scored lines are crisp and defined. The chilli oil in the butter will have turned the pastry a rich red-orange in places. Let the bake rest in the dish for 10 minutes before cutting through the filling and serving. The filo is at its loudest crunch while still warm — serve it within 30 minutes of baking.