Leek Mushroom And Goat Cheese Tart Food

LEEK, MUSHROOM & GRUYèRE QUICHE

Steps:

• To make the pastry, tip the flour and butter into a bowl, then rub together with your fingertips until completely mixed and crumbly. Add 8 tbsp cold water, then bring everything together with your hands until just combined. Roll into a ball and use straight away or chill for up to 2 days. The pastry can also be frozen for up to a month.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a round about 5cm larger than a 25cm tin. Use your rolling pin to lift it up, then drape over the tart case so there is an overhang of pastry on the sides. Using a small ball of pastry scraps, push the pastry into the corners of the tin (see picture, above left). Chill in the fridge or freezer for 20 mins. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
• While the pastry is chilling, heat the butter in a pan and cook the leeks for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until they soften. Then turn up the heat and add the mushrooms. Cook for 5 mins more, then turn off the heat.
• Lightly prick the base of the tart with a fork, line the tart case with a large circle of greaseproof paper or foil, then fill with baking beans. Blind-bake the tart for 20 mins, remove the paper and beans, then continue to cook for 5-10 mins until biscuit brown
• While the tart case cooks, beat the eggs in a bowl, then gradually add the cream. Stir in the leeks, mushrooms and half the cheese. Season, then tip the filling into the tart case. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese, then bake for 20-25 mins until set and golden brown. Leave to cool in the case, trim the edges of the pastry, then remove and serve in slices.

MUSHROOM, LEEK, AND GRUYèRE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
• On a sheet of parchment paper cut to fit a rimmed baking sheet, roll the puff pastry sheet into a 10-by-10-inch square, gently smoothing out any creases in the pastry. Using a sharp knife, lightly score the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border all along the outer edge and being careful not to cut all the way through the pastry. Carefully slide the parchment with the scored pastry onto a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate while you prepare the topping.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. When it bubbles, toss in the garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute. Add the leeks and cook until they begin to soften. Add the mushrooms and cook until they're soft but not yet releasing any liquid. Dump the mushroom filling in a strainer situated over a bowl and let drain for a few minutes.
• Spoon the mushroom filling onto the pastry, being careful to stay inside the scored lines. Either reserve the strained mushroom liquid for making vegetable stock or discard it. Grind fresh black pepper, if using, over the topping.
• Bake the tart for 15 minutes, checking the puff pastry after 10 minutes. If the pasty is already golden brown, cover the exposed pastry edges with foil strips to prevent it from turning too brown. After the first 15 minutes, remove the tart from the oven and sprinkle it with the cheese. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes more, or until the cheese has melted and the pastry is golden brown. Again, it may be necessary to cover the outer edges with foil.
• Let cool for 5 minutes and then slice into squares or rectangles. This tart is best eaten as soon as it is cool enough to handle. (Any leftover mushroom leek tart can be wrapped and refrigerated, but the pastry will suffer. To reheat, pop under the broiler for a few minutes. Whatever you do, don't reheat the tart in the microwave.)

LEEK, MUSHROOM AND GOAT CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Trim fennel of green top and root end, reserving fronds, and quarter bulb from top to bottom. Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, cut fennel and leeks into paper-thin slices. Clean and slice mushrooms.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat; add fennel and leeks and sauté until just tender but not brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Heat remaining teaspoon of oil in skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms and sauté until they release all their liquid and most of it boils away, about 5 minutes. Combine fennel mixture with mushrooms and sauté together briefly; season with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat.
• Unfold puff pastry onto lightly floured surface; cut in half lengthwise to form two long rectangles. Gently roll out each rectangle to approximately 5 by 14 inches and place on cookie sheet (or cut into two circles, if desired). Trim edges by 1/4 inch strips all around; set strips aside. Break one egg into a small bowl; beat slightly. Brush edges of pastry with some egg. Use trimmed strips to make a raised border on each. (Or, fold pastry edges over to form a rim.) Brush entire surface with remaining beaten egg. Prick interior of pastry all over with a fork. Bake until pale gold, about 10 minutes. If pastry has puffed up inside edge, press it down gently. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, combine remaining eggs with 6 ounces goat cheese and blend until smooth. Spread onto pastry. Return to oven and bake just until set, about 4 minutes. Remove from oven and spread with mushroom-leek mixture. Crumble remaining cheese on top. Just before serving, broil tarts on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until tarts are warm and cheese softens. Garnish with fennel fronds.

LEEK, GOAT'S CHEESE, WALNUT & LEMON TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, then add the butter. Once sizzling, add the leeks and cook over a medium heat until softened but not coloured. Stir in the thyme and half the lemon zest, then increase the heat. Add the lemon juice and cook for about 30 secs until the lemon juice reduces, then season well. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
• Unroll the pastry and lay on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Lightly mark a 1cm border around the edges with the tip of a sharp knife, then prick the base all over with a fork.
• Spread the lemony leeks on top of the pastry, within the border. Crumble over the cheese, scatter with the walnuts, then season with pepper. Drizzle with some olive oil, brushing the edges with a little oil as well. Put tart in the oven for 15-20 mins until the pastry puffs up around the edges and is golden brown. Scatter with parsley and the remaining lemon zest. Serve hot, warm or cool.

GOAT'S CHEESE, SHALLOT AND LEEK TART - A BIT OF A FRENCH TART!

Steps:

• You will need a 7½ inch (19 cm) diameter fluted quiche tin with a removable base, 1¼ inches (3 cm) deep, very lightly buttered, and a small, solid baking sheet.
• Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5, 375°F (190°C) and pop the baking sheet in to pre-heat on the centre shelf.
• Now prepare the leeks. First, take the tough green ends off & discard them; leave some of the lighter green & then make a vertical split about halfway down the centre of each one and clean them by running them under the cold-water tap while you fan out the layers - this will rid them of any hidden dust and grit. Then slice them in half lengthways and chop into ½-inch (1 cm) slices.
• Next, in a medium-sized frying pan, melt the butter over a gentle heat and add the leeks, shallots and some salt. Give it all a good stir and let them cook gently, without a lid, for 10-15 minutes or until the juice runs out of them. Then you need to transfer them to a sieve set over a bowl to drain off the excess juice. Place a saucer with a weight on top of them to press out every drop.
• Roll it out into a circle on a lightly floured surface. As you roll, give it quarter turns to keep the round shape and roll it as thinly as possible. Now transfer it, rolling it over the pin, to the tin. Press it lightly and firmly over the base and sides of the tin, easing any overlapping pastry back down to the sides, as it is important not to stretch it. Now trim the edges and press the pastry up about ¼ inch (5 mm) above the rim of the tin all round, and then prick the base all over with a fork.
• After that, paint some of the beaten egg for the filling over the base and sides. Now place the tin on the baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden. Check halfway through the cooking time to make sure that the pastry is not rising up in the centre. If it is, just prick it a couple of times and press it back down with your hands.
• While the pastry case is pre-baking, crumble the goats' cheese with your hands, and then gently combine it with the leeks & shallots in the sieve. Now, in a jug, mix the beaten eggs with the crème fraîche or double cream, seasoning with just a little salt (there is some already in the leeks) and a good grinding of freshly milled black pepper.
• As soon as the pastry case is ready, remove it from the oven; arrange the leeks, shallots and cheese all over the base. Pour the cream and egg mixture over the top of the cheese, shallots & leeks, then put the tart back on the baking sheet with the oven shelf half pulled out, then gently slide the shelf back in and bake the tart for 30-35 minutes, until it's firm in the centre and the surface has turned a lovely golden brown.
• Next, remove it from the oven and allow it to settle for 10 minutes before serving. These 10 minutes is important, as it will be much easier to cut into portions. The best way to remove the tart from the tin is to ease the edges from the sides of the tin with a small knife, then place it on an upturned jar or tin, which will allow you to carefully ease the sides away.
• Next slide a palette knife or wide fish slice underneath and ease the tart on to a plate or board ready to serve, or simply cut it into portions straight from the tin base.
• Serve for picnics, light lunch with mixed salad and baked potatoes or as finger food for a buffet.

GOAT-CHEESE LEEK TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack on lowest shelf. In a medium bowl, toss leeks with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together goat cheese, cream cheese, milk, 2 egg yolks, and thyme. Lightly season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, beat remaining egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash.
• Place pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread goat-cheese mixture on crust, leaving a 2-inch border. Top with leeks. Fold edge of dough over filling, pinching folds together to seal. Brush dough with egg wash.
• Bake until crust is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into wedges; serve.