(Edit* figured no better time than the present to clear out some drafts I never quited finished, or was waiting for *something*...hopefully doesn't seem incomplete)Phyllo is one of those items that most people are familiar with, yet isn't used with regularity. Most think of greek food when they think of phyllo, and rightfully so. Memories of my first bite of baklava still awaken every time I see phyllo. However, in today's global world of food, phyllo can be used for many, many, things, and really are an easy item for the home cook to "jazz up" a dinner party or event.
That's what go me thinking about writing about phyllo, how simple it is to use, but perhaps home cooks are lacking a few basic tips on just how to use it. I wanted an easy, yet elegant appetizer for my New Year's Eve party, and decided on little phyllo cups with a wild mushroom filing.I'll concentrate on the phyllo tips first, and then get to the filling, as the emphasis is on using the phyllo. Most phyllo is sold in your grocers frozen food section, generally near the desert area. My grocer's was there, and the common brand is "Athen's" (go figure). With phyllo, you'll get the best shelf life out of it if you thaw it only for it's use, but it can be stored thawed in your refigator for short periods of time if you intend to work in small batches over the course of several days, or used for multiple tasks. When working with phyllo, the number one precaution is the not to let the phyllo dry out while working with it. Generally, the thin sheets are rolled up. Once unrolled, they are folded in half. Depending on the dish, I may simply cut the sheets at the fold, then stack back up. From there, a slightly damp kitchen towel over the wax paper that that phyllo is packaged in should prevent any drying. Turning off any fans will also make a big difference, particularly ones that are pointed towards the dough. I know my ceileing fan has been the culprit in the past, as has air conditioning vents in commercial kitchens pointed towards my work area (rare as they are in commercial kitchens).
A note about thawing the phyllo. I would HIGHLY suggest not trying to thaw the dough in a microwave. Set out at room temperature for an hour should easily work, and best case scenario is to move the phyllo from the freezer to the fridge the night before or morning of the day you will be working with it. You can then easily allow it to come to room temperature while you are gathering all of your other items.
The other generally always followed tip I would offer is to use real butter. I suggest that in all cases, as the hydrogentated oils of margerine have shown in recent studies to be worse for your heart than small amounts of whole butter. But I don't intend for this site to be a nutrional debate, or do I consider myself an expert on the subject. I have educated myself on what I do put into my body, and have made those decesions based on the information out there. I suggest to all to do the same. Anyway, back to the butter, lightly brushed between the layers of phyllo, be it a savory or sweet use, is always the key to a great finished product.
Phyllo is quite versitle, and can be used for strudel type dishes, layered, as in baklava, or can be used to create small cups for stuffing. Which is what I decided to do for my New Year's party. The first step was to get a mini muffin pan. The one I found was non-stick, with a decent weight to it (tip- when buying any kind of pan, the heavier a pan is, generally speaking ,the more even the heat distributes. Even heat distribution translates to even cooking times, so one side doesn't burn while the other is raw for instance. That's why the cheap pans feel just that, cheap. If taken care of, pots and pans will last a life time, so why not invest in one).
If you were doing a desert for a sit down dessert, then perhaps a full sized muffin pan would be appropriate, but since I was looking for finger food, mini was in. Working with one sheet of phyllo at at ime, I cut each sheet into small squares, and lightly brushed each one. I then layer 4-5 pieces, rotating the corners so as to create a star pattern of sorts. Then tuck each into space in the tin, shaping the cup to fit the form. If the dough isn't dried out, and the light brushing of melted butter is right, the layers should be supple enough to form, of not, you may want to work in smaller batches to keep the dough from drying out, and brush just a little more butter on the sheets. Once the cups are filled, the decision now is whether or not to cook the cups. If the filling is needs to be heated, you can fill the cups and then cook, as the heating and cooking should be about the same. However if the filling is to be served cool, or room temperature, you can cook the cups unfilled, stored in an airtight container at room temperature, and used at a latter time.