Directions

1. In a heavy saucepan, melt ½ cup of the butter, add the shallots, and sauté until limp and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Clean the mushrooms, removing and discarding any woody stems. Chop them coarsely, add to the shallots, and sauté until limp, about 15 minutes. Add the Madeira, thyme, and parsley, stir in the cheese, and remove from the heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

2. In a small, heavy saucepan melt remaining butter. Prepare the filo pastry by cutting a two-inch piece off the roll of dough. Cover the remainder with a towel. Remove two sheets of the cut filo at a time, keeping the rest covered. Spread it out on cutting board and, with a pastry brush, join the two sheets together with a tiny swipe of melted butter on the bottom sheet. Brush the entire top layer with melted butter. Place about 1 heaping teaspoon of the mushroom mixture in the lower right corner and begin to wrap filo into a triangle on greased cookie sheet by folding end over end, as you fold a flag.

3. Place the finished triangle on a buttered baking sheet and repeat the process until done. Brush tops of triangles with butter and sprinkle with a few sesame seeds. Bake at 400˚F for 20 minutes, until the triangles are lightly browned.

4. Remove from the oven, arrange the Italian parsley on a large platter, and set the triangles on top of the parsley. Serve hot.