Anonymous Fri Oct 07 11:08:58 2005

3 cups shiitakes, thinly sliced

butter, as needed

2 tsp. garlic, pared, minced

2 tsp. shallots, pared, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

1-1/2 cups champagne

1-1/2 cups warm aspic

English cucumbers, pared, as needed

Saute shiitakes in butter until almost tender. Add garlic, shallots, salt and pepper; saute for 1 minute. Deglaze with champagne; remove from heat. Add warm aspic. Spray 8 small timbales with non-stick cooking spray. Remove shiitakes from champagne-aspic mixture; stuff into timbales. Top with aspic; refrigerate until set. Unmold timbales. Slice cucumber; trim slices to form disks slightly larger than bottoms of unmolded timbales.

Place timbales on cucumber disks.