Wild Mushroom Tart

Name: Wild Mushroom Tart
Ingredients: Crust:; 75 gm toasted and skinned hazelnuts; 375 ml (1 ½ cup) cake flour; 2,5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) salt; 140 gm butter, cold and cut into dice; 1 egg yolk; 15 ml (1 tablespoon) ice water; Filling:; 15 ml (1 tablespoon) butter; 125 ml (1/2 cup) very finely chopped onion; 750 gm wild mushrooms, such as porcini, oyster, chanterelle and shitakes; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 125 gm cream cheese at room temperature; 2 eggs; 250 ml (1 cup) cream; 30 ml (2 tablespoons) fresh chopped parsley

This quiche like tart is a good vegetarian choice to serve as a light meal. The cream cheese in the filling gives the tart a slightly firmer texture and the hazelnuts add a nice nuttiness to the dish. Serve the tart with a simple green salad tossed with a classic vinaigrette in which hazelnut oil replaces some of the olive oil.

Published 31 December 2023

Method

Make the crust. Process the nuts with 2 tablespoons of the flour until very finely ground. Add the rest of the flour with the salt and pulse a few times to blend evenly. Add the butter and pulse briefly until the flour mixture has a sandy texture. Add the egg yolk and the tablespoon of ice water and pulse until the dough comes together. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
Shape the dough into a flat disk and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for a few minutes. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough into a 22 cm circle and carefully ease into a greased 22 cm quiche pan with a removable bottom.
Bake the tart crust blind. Line the pastry shell with aluminum foil and fill the tin with dried bean or raw rice. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully lift out the foil with the rice. Return the tart crust to the oven and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes until the crust is golden. Set aside. You can reuse the rice when you next bake a pie crust blind.
Make the filling. Heat the butter in a frying pan and cook the onion over medium heat until golden. Add the mushrooms and cook until all the liquid had evaporated. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
Cream the cream cheese with the eggs and add the cream. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Pour the cream mixture into the tart shell and scatter the mushrooms over the top. Bake at 180 C for 30 minutes until the filling is set. Sprinkle with the freshly chopped parsley and serve.