Wild Mushroom Tart

FOR THE CRUST:

Remove the pastry from the refrigerator 20 minutes before you begin to roll. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 14- by 10-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Drape over the rolling pin and transfer to a 13- by 9-inch ceramic tart dish or a 12-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom. Without stretching, ease the pastry into the corners of the dish. Fold any overhanging dough back over itself and press together to build up the rim about 1/4 inch above the top of the dish (this will compensate for shrinkage). Prick the base with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line the dish with parchment paper or foil and fill with ceramic pie weights, rice, or beans, pressing them gently into the corners. Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges begin to shrink away from the dish. Remove the paper and weights and bake for about 4 minutes more, until the base appears dry. Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 375 degrees F. (Or, you could cool the crust on a rack for up to 2 hours before proceeding.) Do not fill the pastry until just before cooking.

FOR THE FILLING:

In a small saucepan, bring the milk up to just below the boiling point. Remove from the heat, add the porcini, and swirl to cover all the mushrooms. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes. Squeeze the porcini mushrooms firmly, draining the milk back into the pan. Chop the porcini and strain the milk to remove any grit; set both aside. Slice the fresh mushrooms.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F, if it is not already hot from cooking the pastry. In a saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Saute the shallots over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring, until softened, Add all the mushrooms and saut辿 until the mushrooms are tender and all their liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. In the same pan, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the leeks and saut辿 over low heat, covered, until completely tender but not browned, about 12 minutes. Stir in the tarragon, season with a pinch each of salt and pepper, and cook for one minute more.

TO ASSEMBLE THE TART:

Spread the base of the pre-baked crust evenly with the mustard and then spread the mushroom and the leek mixtures evenly in the crust. In a bowl, quickly but thoroughly whisk together the porcini-soaking milk, cream, eggs, egg yolks, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour the custard over the vegetables and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until all but the very center is set and lightly browned. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Cut into squares or wedges and serve warm or at room temperature. Do not refrigerate after baking or the crust will become soggy.

Recipe created exclusively for Cooking.com by Brigit L. Binns.