Leek and Chanterelle Tart

cookiedog's Note:

This recipe includes an easy salt-and-pepper crust. If you choose to use a frozen crust make sure it does not include sugar. You can also substitute button or crimini mushrooms for the chanterelles.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

For the crust

• 1 cup flour, plus more
• flour, for rolling out dough
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 7 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

For the filling

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 leeks, white and very light green parts halved, cleaned, and thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 lb chanterelle mushroom (cut into about 1-inch pieces)
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup grated gruyere cheese

Directions:

1. Make crust: In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt, and pepper. Rub butter into flour until most of it looks like cornmeal but some larger, pea-size pieces remain. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons ice-cold water while stirring quickly with a fork. Or, pulse flour, salt, pepper, and butter in a food processor until a coarse, cornmeal-textured mixture forms, then drizzle in ice water until dough comes together. Turn dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and use wrap to press dough into a 1-in.-thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
2. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly flour a work surface. Unwrap dough; with a rolling pin gently roll it, turning dough 90 degrees between each roll, into a 12 inch circle.
3. Place rolled-out dough in a 9 1/2 inches tart pan. Trim edges flush with pan edges. Cover dough with a large piece of aluminum foil and weigh down with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice.
4. Bake crust 20 minutes. Lift foil and weights off crust and bake until beginning to turn golden, about 10 minutes. Let crust cool to room temperature.
5. Meanwhile, make filling: Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add leeks and salt and cook, stirring, until leeks are soft, about 3 minutes. Turn heat to high and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring constantly, until mushrooms have given off their liquid 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in thyme, cream, and pepper, then turn off heat and let cool to room temperature.
6. Spread half of the grated cheese over tart crust. Spread leek-mushroom mixture on top and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and golden, about 25 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Reviews

[Mooncoyotemom]

I have also made this with the mushroom & leek filling, but with a wild rice tart crust. Gruyere is perfect!

[Mikekey]

What great flavors! I had to use a mix of mushrooms, because I could only find dried chanterelles. With the dried mushrooms, I used sliced portobellos. I will be making this again during chanterelle season. I will also make the crust next time. I used a refrigerated crust I had on hand. Thanks, cookiedog, for this keeper!

[French Tart]

A SUPER DUPER recipe which was devoured by my DH......with not very much left for me! I was lucky enough to have fresh Chanterelle mushrooms and a lovely piece of Gruyere cheese as well! These flavours are very much "our kind" of flavours and it was a dream of a tart to make and also to eat! I did sub the cream with low fat creme fraiche, I think this might have lightened the tart up a bit, and made it slightly less cloying than if I had used full fat cream - just a thought! Great tart which has gone into my cookbook - thanks, FT! P.S. I DID nake the pastry, which was light and flaky & we both loved the addition of the black pepper.