Baked Eggs in Wild Mushroom
Tartlets
It's quite a
long time since I made a quiche or tart for entertaining. I feel that serving
them individually is prettier and more practical, and people seem to really
enjoy them. This recipe contains a base of a very concentrated mixture of fresh
mushrooms and dried porcini,
and this is a delight coupled with a softly baked egg and crisp pastry.
Vegetarians might like to know that a vegetarian parmesan-style cheese is
available.
Serves : 6 as a Starter
Ingredients:
FOR THE PASTRY:
3oz / 75g Soft Butter
6oz / 175g Plain Flour, sifted
1½oz / 40g Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano), finely
grated
FOR THE FILLING:
6 Large Eggs
1oz / 25g Dried Porcini
6oz / 175g Chestnut Mushrooms
6oz / 175g Open-Cap Mushrooms
3oz / 75g Butter
2 Small Red Onions, finely
chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
2 tsp Lemon Juice
1 Heaped tbsp
Chopped Fresh Parsley
1oz / 25g Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano), finely
grated, for sprinkling over the tarts
Sea Salt and Freshly Milled Black
Pepper
Instructions:
1.
Begin by
placing the porcini
in a bowl.
2.
Pour 7 floz / 200ml boiling water over them and leave to soak for
30 minutes.
3.
Now make
the pastry. This can easily be done in a processor or by rubbing the butter into the flour and stirring in
the grated Parmesan
and sufficient cold water (about 3 tablespoons) to mix to a
soft but firm dough.
4.
Place the
dough in a plastic bag and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest. This
pastry will need a little more water than usual as the cheese absorbs some of
it.
5.
For the
filling, heat 2oz / 50g of the butter in a heavy-based
frying pan, add the onions
and garlic and fry
until they are soft and almost transparent (about 15 minutes).
6.
While
that's happening, finely chop the chestnut and open-cap mushrooms.
7.
When the porcini have had
their 30 minutes' soaking, place a sieve over a bowl and strain them into it,
pressing to release the moisture.
8.
You can
reserve the soaking liquid and freeze it for stocks or sauces if you don't want
to throw it out.
9.
Then chop
the porcini
finely and transfer them with the other mushrooms to the pan
containing the onions.
10.
Add the
remaining 1oz / 25g of butter,
season and cook till the juices of the mushrooms run, then add the lemon juice and parsley.
11.
Raise the
heat slightly and cook the mushrooms without a
lid, stirring from time to time to prevent them sticking, until all the liquid
has evaporated and the mixture is of a spreadable consistency. This will take
about 25 minutes.
12.
While the mushrooms are
cooking, pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 6 / 400°F / 200°C.
13.
Now roll
out the pastry to a thickness of ⅛ inch / 3mm and cut out 6 rounds,
re-rolling the pastry if necessary.
14.
Grease the
tins with a little melted butter
and line each tin with the pastry, pushing it down from the top so the pastry
will not shrink while cooking.
15.
Trim any
surplus pastry from around the top and prick the base with a fork.
16.
Now leave
this in the fridge for a few minutes until the oven is up to temperature.
17.
Now place
the tins on a solid baking sheet and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for
15 – 20 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp.
18.
Remove
them from the oven and reduce the temperature to Gas Mark 4 / 350°F / 180°C.
19.
Divide the
filling between the tarts, making a well in the centre with the back of a
spoon.
20.
Then break
an egg into a saucer
or a small ramekin, slip it into the tart and scatter a little Parmesan over the
top.
21.
Repeat
this process with the other five tarts and return them to the oven for 12 – 15
minutes until they are just set and the yolks are still soft and
creamy.
22.
Serve
straight away, because if they wait around the eggs will go on cooking.
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