The
potatoes for this recipe can be cooked a day or two ahead and the
mushrooms cleaned and sliced. I would wait until Thanksgiving morning to
chop the herbs and toss everything together. The parcels can also be
assembled in the morning and refrigerated until you are ready to pop
them into the oven.
Adapted from Plenty
Serves 8
Approximately 30 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time
9 cups of a mix of wild and crimini mushrooms
approximately a dozen baby potatoes
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1/2 cup chopped chives
1/2 cup chopped tarragon
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Scrub the potatoes and put them in a medium-sized stockpot with their skins still on. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer until tender. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the potatoes, and could be anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes. The potatoes should be tender when sliced with a knife but not too soft because they will cook a bit more when they bake in the parcels. Once the skins begin to burst, they are done. Drain the potatoes into a colander and let them cool.
While the potatoes are cooking, clean the mushrooms with a vegetable brush or a paper towel. Remove any large or woody stems and trim the ends off of any smaller stems. Slice the mushrooms and put them in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix everything together gently so that the mushrooms do not break. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Cut 8 pieces of parchment paper at least 13 inches square. Evenly distribute the mushroom-potato mixture among the squares. Pull up the corners of the parchment paper and scrunch the paper together tightly just above the filling. Tie with cotton twine.
Arrange the parcels on a baking sheet with an inch or so between them. Bake for 17 minutes. (If you re removing straight from the refrigerator to the oven, allow an extra minute or two). Remove from the oven. The original recipe says that the parcels need to rest for a minute, but I found that by the time we arranged them on plates or a serving platter, enough time had passed.
Serve the parcels as they are so that each diner can open his or her own bundle. The parcels can be eaten in the parchment paper or the parchment can be removed. Have a bowl handy for the wrappers in case your guests choose the latter option.