Wild Mushroom Tart
Pairs Well With
Tart Filling
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 large shallots, finely chopped
- 6 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed & sliced
- 6 ounces fresh wild mushrooms (Chanterelles, Trumpet Royale, Nameko, Maitake or your choice of local exotic fungi), stemmed & sliced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- Alea sea salt and fresh ground pepper
- ½ cup fresh shredded Gruyère cheese
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ cups half and half
Preparation
While dough is cooling, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper to taste and cook until mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
Spread the mushroom mixture in the tart shell and sprinkle cheese over it. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and half & half and pour over the mixture.
Bake the tart until the filling is beginning to brown, about 30-40 minutes. Serve slices at warm or room temperature on a plate garnished with edible garden flowers.
Crust
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons corn meal
- 1/3 cup butter, cut into pieces
- Pinch salt
- 5 tablespoons ice water, as needed
Preparation
Place flour, cornmeal and salt in bowl. Mix lightly with fingers. Cut in butter with pastry cutter until coarse meal is formed. Add ice water in small amounts, sprinkling over surface of mixture. Use fork to mix in until dough holds together. The amount of water used will depend upon the humidity of the day and the flour you are using.
Form ball, then flatten on a firm plastic sheet or work surface dusted with flour. Dust dough on top too and roll out to form a round sheet about 12 inches or so in diameter. Turn periodically during this process and dust surface and dough so it does not stick. Turn dough into 9-inch quiche pan or shallow pie plate. Lightly press into pan; turn under edge and form flutes around the edge with your fingers.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line the tart shell with aluminum foil and fill it with dried beans (which you can reuse when you bake again). Bake for about 10 minutes; remove foil and beans, and bake for another 10 minutes until it’s a light golden color. Remove from oven. Reduce temperature to 375°F.
