Wild Mushrooms in Phyllo Crowns

Brush 9-inch pie plate with 1 tsp of the melted butter; add garlic and wine. Bake in 325°F oven until garlic is golden and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Purée; set aside.

In small saucepan, heat 1 tsp of the butter over medium heat; cook shallot until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chicken stock and boil over high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in cream; boil, whisking frequently, until reduced by half, 5 to 8 minutes. Whisk in purée, and salt and pepper to taste. Strain through fine sieve; keep warm.

In skillet over medium-high heat, cook remaining butter until browned and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add thyme, 1/2 tsp salt and pinch pepper; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Divide mushrooms among Phyllo Crowns; drizzle with sauce. Garnish with red pepper and thyme sprigs.

Place 1 sheet of phyllo on surface, keeping remainder covered with damp tea towel to prevent drying out. Using sharp knife, cut 14- x12-inch rectangle, reserving remainder for another use. Brush with 2 tsp of the melted butter. Using wooden spoon with 14-inch handle and starting at short end of pastry, roll up pastry on handle, leaving 1 inch unrolled at end. Working at both ends of handle, gently push phyllo toward centre, crinkling to about half its length. Slide off handle; pull ends together to form circle, so unrolled phyllo forms ruffled base on inside. Press ends together to seal.

Repeat with remaining sheets of phyllo and butter. Bake on baking sheet in 350°F oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. (Make-ahead: Cover tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.)