Mushroom Tart | Baking

What better way to welcome the monsoons than baking a tart !! Rains have started playing hide-n-seek in Delhi now, and we, the rain parched mortals leave no occasion to celebrate the high and mighty rains. 

While savoury tarts are perfect for cold winter nights, they are great company for the rain on your window sill :-)

This tart has a surprise element which adds a new dimension to the flavour. A layer of caramelized onions. The slight sweetness from the onions actually enhances the umami flavour of the mushrooms. 
This is now my new go-to veg tart for friends and family. :-)

Mushroom Tart

Ingredients

For the Pastry

225g All Purpose Flour

100g Butter

1 tsp Powdered Sugar

Ice Cold Water about 1/3 of a cup

For the Filling

5-6 Medium to Large sized Onions (for making caramelized onions)

1/2 cup of White Wine

400 g of Mushrooms

2-3 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup of Cream

2 tbsp of Processed Cheese

1 tsp Chilli Flakes

2 Onions 

2 tbsp of Olive Oil

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder

Cheese

Directions

For the Pastry

1. Cut the butter into 1cm cubes and freeze for about 30 minutes.

2. In a blender jar, put the flour and butter alternatingly.Blitz till you get a bread crumbly texture.

3. Transfer in a large bowl and with your hands, bring the dough together. Use cold water but keep it absolutely minimal. DO NOT OVER KNEAD THE DOUGH !! You have to just bind it together.

4. Wrap in a cling wrap and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

In the mean time let's work on the filling.

1. Chop 5-6 onions into slices, take a pan, add some oil, once heated add the onions and set them to caramelise.

2. Now finely chop two more onions.

3. Wash and slice the mushrooms.

4. Keep an eye on those onions being caramelized. You don't want them to burn.

4. Take another pan, heat the olive oil and add the finely chopped onions. Saute` till they sweat, add the garlic and saute` a little more till the garlicky aroma rises. Now add the sliced mushrooms and saute` till the mushrooms start to sweat. Add the chilli flakes, black pepper and salt. Give it a nice stir.

5. Now add the cheese and cream, give it a good mix and finally finish it off with the white wine. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.

6. The mushroom filling should not be too dry but at the same time not too flowey.

Making the Tart Shell

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degree C.

2. Remove the pastry dough fro mthe refrigerator. 

3. Between two sheets of cling wrap start rolling the pastry dough.

4. Always remember to roll the pastry away from you and always in one direction. This helps in the pastry to not shrink while baking.

5. Carefully lift it, either on your rolling pin or with the cling wrap in which the dough was being rolled. Place it on your tart tin. Make sure you do not pull it. Gently press it down and trim the excess from the sides.

6 .Poke with the fork in a few places, so that it doesn't puff up while baking.

7. Now cover it with butter paper and place either baking weights or just some beans from your kitchen.

8. Blind bake it for 20-25 minutes.

9. Remove from the oven. Remove the butter paper and the weights or the beans and let it cool down completely.

Assembly

1. Once the tart shell is completely cool, spread an even layer of the caramelized onions. 

2. Now add a layer of the mushrooms. Fill it in, nicely. Place thin strips of cheese on the top and bake at a 180 degree C for about 30 minutes.

3. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Happy Baking !!