Savory Puff Pastries with Minced Meat and Mushrooms

How to prepare savory puff pastries with minced meat and mushrooms

1. For the filling, heat a few tablespoons of oil in a wide pan and add the finely chopped onion and grated carrot. When they soften a bit (about 2-3 minutes), add the sliced mushrooms (stems removed). Sauté over high heat until the water released by the mushrooms evaporates. Season with salt and black pepper while sautéing.
2. Put the pan contents over the meat that has been passed once through a meat grinder. Add the chopped herbs and sprinkle a little more salt and pepper. Add the bread soaked in water or milk, then squeezed well. Mix gently with your hand, then pass the mixture through the meat grinder one more time. The idea is to have a more paste-like mixture that can be easily piped onto the dough.
3. Add the egg yolk and now mix only with a fork. Put the filling in a pastry bag.
4. Take each sheet of dough and roll it out slightly (just pass the rolling pin over it a few times lengthwise and widthwise). Cut it in half widthwise.
5. Pipe the filling in thick rows (about a finger-width), parallel to the cut, about two finger-widths apart from each other (I fit 3 rows on each sheet; see photo 2).
6. Cover the meat with the other half of the dough sheet.
   
8. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the dough well between the rows of meat. Prick the brushed areas in a few spots with the tines of a fork.
   
9. Cover the meat with the other half of the dough. Press the dough very firmly between the meat layers (see photo 3).
   * Repeat this process with the other dough sheets and remaining filling
10. Transfer the "little pies" onto wooden boards. Place them in the freezer until semi-frozen (about 2 hours).
11. Remove the "little pies" from the freezer and with a large, wide knife, cut finger-thick slices perpendicular to the rows of meat (see photo 4).
12. Brush the top of the dough with beaten egg and sprinkle with caraway seeds (or sesame seeds, coarse salt).
14. Place the cut slices on baking trays (covered with parchment paper), spaced apart from each other, as they will puff up and turn over during baking.
15. Bake each batch at 200°C for approximately 15 minutes (until the puff pastry is puffed and nicely golden).

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