Wild Mushroom Tort Recipes

Steps:

• Make the tart dough: Put the 2 cups flour and salt in the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (If you don't have one, you can prepare the dough by hand.) With the mixer set on low speed, work half of the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add remaining butter cubes and ice water, and mix just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very soft, studded with butter chunks and a bit sticky - this is correct.
• You should have 550 grams/20 ounces of dough. Divide into 2 (275-gram/10-ounce) balls. Dust each with a little flour and press into a disk about 1-inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Dust the work surface with flour. Press one disk into a rough square, then roll it into a 6-by-12-inch sheet. Fold the sheet in half, making a 6-inch square. Dust with flour lightly, as necessary, and roll the square into a 6-by-12-inch sheet again, then fold in half to make a 6-inch square. Finally, roll dough into a 6-by-18-inch sheet, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate, wrapped, for 30 minutes to keep dough from shrinking when baked, or freeze. (Roll out the rest of the dough at your leisure, then freeze for the future, or refrigerate and use within 2 days.)
• Make the filling: Set a wide skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When oil is wavy, add onions. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove onions and set aside.
• In the same pan over medium-high heat, add mushrooms (and a little more oil if necessary). Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and red-pepper flakes (if using), stir well and turn off heat. Combine mushrooms and onions, set aside and let cool to room temperature. (Filling can be made several hours in advance and left at room temperature, if desired.)
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Using a small rubber spatula, spread crème fraîche over the pastry sheet, leaving a 1-inch border. Distribute onion-mushroom mixture evenly over the crème fraîche. Dust with Parmesan and fold pastry edges up, pinching at the corners to form a low rim. Bake until pastry is crisp and golden and top of mixture is lightly browned, about 30 to 35 minutes.
• Slide baked tart onto a cutting board and pull away the parchment. Let tart cool slightly before cutting. Sprinkle with parsley and cut tart crosswise into wide slices (or, if preferred, into wedges). Serve warm.

Steps:

• For crust:
• Blend flour and salt in processor. Cut in butter using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add enough water to blend dough. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic, chill 45 minutes.
• Roll out dough on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges, leaving 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang in to form double-thick sides. Press tart edges to raise dough 1/8 inch above pan. Chill 30 minutes.
• For filling:
• Bring 1 cup water to boil in saucepan. Add porcini; remove from heat and let stand 30 minutes. Spoon porcini from liquid; reserve liquid. Coarsely chop porcini.
• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add porcini and crimini mushrooms. Season with salt; sauté until deep golden, about 10 minutes. Add shallots; sauté 2 minutes. Add Cognac and reserved porcini liquid, leaving any sand behind in saucepan. Boil until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Mix in 1 tablespoon herbs. Cool.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line crust with foil. Fill with dried beans; bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
• Sprinkle 1/3 cup cheese in crust. Cover with mushrooms. Whisk cream, yolks, egg and 1 tablespoon herbs in bowl. Pour custard over mushrooms. Top with remaining cheese. Bake until filling is set and top is golden, about 30 minutes. Cool on rack 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a skillet, saute the mushrooms and shallots in the margarine. Add the brandy and herbs and cook about 4 minutes. In a bowl, combine the cream, egg and egg yolks. Fill the pie crust with the cheese, place the mushrooms and shallots on top, and pour the cream and egg mixture over all. Bake for about 30 minutes, longer if necessary.
• Place the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the shortening and cut with a pastry blender, or use your hands. Add the water, a tablespoon at a time, kneading until the dough is smooth. Roll out the dough to fit a 9inch pie pan.

Steps:

• Roll the pastry out on a floured surface and cut out 4 circles, about 15cm wide. Leave to chill on a lined baking tray in the fridge.
• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Heat a large frying pan until hot, then add the butter and fry the mushrooms for 5 mins until there is no liquid left in the pan. Season, then take off the heat and mix mushrooms with the Parmesan, parsley and garlic.
• Score a 1cm border around the edge of each tart, then spoon the mushrooms into the centre circle. Brush the edge with beaten egg, then bake the tarts for 20 mins until puffed up and golden. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Make shell:
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into an 11-inch round and fit into tart pan, trimming excess dough. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until bottom is golden, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 15 minutes.
• Make filling while shell bakes:
• Heat butter and oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms, shallot, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender and any liquid given off is evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature.
• Whisk together crème fraîche, heavy cream, whole egg, yolk, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl until combined.
• Fill and bake tart:
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
• Scatter mushrooms evenly in tart shell and pour custard over them. Bake tart in pan on a baking sheet until custard is just set and slightly puffed, 35 to 45 minutes.
• Cool tart in pan on rack at least 20 minutes, then remove side of pan. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.