My stint with the Junior League was short-lived – one of those fleeting relationships that, in spite of it all, still managed to leave a pleasant taste in my mouth. In this case, that taste (and a free copy of one of the club’s old cookbooks) turned out to be the basis for these delicious mushroom tarts – one of those delightfully delicate, sinfully easy to make dishes that you’ll soon add to that list of “make with your eyes closed�? favorites (they’re also ideal for those in-a-pinch moments we all get caught in from time to time: after all, if you’re going to make one batch, you may as well make extra and save them for later!).
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound wild mushrooms (cremini, portobello, shiitake, morel, oyster), coarsely chopped
8 ounces goat cheese
1/4 cup truffle or olive oil
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
60 phyllo-pastry tartlet shells, packaged
Garnish: sliced mushroom, chopped chives
In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add the shallot and garlic, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the chopped mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a food processor and add the goat cheese. Add the oil and parsley. Pulse until the mixture comes together. Season with salt and pepper and pulse again.
Spoon mushroom filling into tartlet shells and place on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Garnish with sliced mushroom and chopped chive before serving.
my catering company is named Chanterelle, which is an apricot colored blossom shaped WILD shroom found in the hot wet days of summer under oak trees. I use dried morels, black trumpets or porcini in my mushroom duxelle with buttons chopped up and sauteed as the texture. Plenty of reduced cream and a hit of Makers Mark Bourbon for good measure.
Out of all my hot aps and stations the wild shroom one is the most popular.