Wild Mushroom Tart

It is that time of year again!  Wild mushrooms abound, at least in some parts of the world!  Unfortunately I am here in New Orleans and have yet to venture north or east in search of the bounty.  But luckily I still have some dehydrated mushrooms from last year's abundant mountain-top harvest!  This was my first time making this tart and it turned out remarkably well.  I paired it with the tart green salad with anchovy dressing to help balance the rich creaminess of the tart.  There was also the added bonus of using the leftover tart crust for an impromptu apple tart!  The earthiness of wild mushrooms is truly divine.  We ate it as a main course but if you cut it into smaller pieces you could serve it with an aperitivo.  But no matter how you slice it, it is so good you'll wish you had more!

Tart Crust
See recipe from the (Easy) Onion Parsley Tart
Once the tart crust is rolled out as thin as you can get it place your tart pan on it and, adding an inch to circumference of the pan, cut out your shell.  Place the shell in the tart pan and press on all sides so that it fits snugly.  If excess dough hangs over the edges roll your rolling pin over the top to remove them.  Place in freezer for 30 minutes to rest and chill.
Preheat oven to 350.
Butter one side of aluminum foil and place inside the tart.  Fill with dried beans (I keep a bag reserved just for this use).  Bake the tart for 20 minutes.  Take the tart out, remove the foil and beans, prick the crust bottom all over with a fork. Put it back in the oven and cook for another ten minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Filling
1 & 1/2 cups of mixed dehydrated wild mushrooms, re-hydrated, squeezed of excess liquid and cut to bite sized pieces*
3 shallots, diced
1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves, diced after measuring
3 medium cloves garlic
1 teaspoon Piment d'Espelette (or medium-heat paprika)
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 pint table cream (do not use whip cream)
4 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 dashes of high quality vinagre de Jerez (sherry vinegar)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste


Heat a large saute pan on medium-high.  Add the oil and saute the shallot with some salt until it just starts to color.  Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes.  Add the butter and stir to melt.  Add the garlic and saute for one minute more.  Add the flour and mix.  Add cream and buttermilk and cook to mix, it should thicken a bit.  Add the cheese, vinegar, and parsley, mix and remove from heat.

Putting It All Together
Brush Dijon mustard and a drizzle of olive oil over the bottom of the tart crust.  Pour the filling into the tart. Grate a bit more Parmigiano over the top.  Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes until the crust and filling are golden brown.

Pairing Suggestions:  Serve with a Chianti Classico or Vino Nobile di Montepulciano


*Note: To re-hydrate mushrooms soak them in hot water for 20 minutes. Once the mushrooms are done soaking I freeze the liquid to use at a later date for mushroom risotto. If you have fresh wild mushrooms use them instead! I would use about two cups of fresh mushrooms, maybe even more!  Any mix will work with this. In fact if you are looking to save money or don't want to use wild mushrooms any variety of (edible!) mushroom will work...  For this tart I used 3/4 cup morels and 3/4 cup chanterelles.  I couldn't find my porcini (maybe I already ate them all!) or I would have added those as well.