Suzannes Spring Onion And Morel Tart Food

SUZANNE'S SPRING ONION AND MOREL TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with rack in center. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, puree ricotta until smooth. Add one egg yolk, and 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Pulse to combine. Transfer to a small bowl, and fold in creme fraiche, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add half of the mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon salt, a pinch of pepper, and 1 teaspoon thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the released liquid has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter, and continue to cook until mushrooms are tender and slightly crisp, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a medium bowl. Repeat process with remaining mushrooms.
• While the mushrooms are cooking, prepare the onions: Cut the white bulbous part of the onions into 1/2-inch wedges. Slice enough of the greens across on the diagonal to equal 1/2 cup; set aside. Discard the remaining greens.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add the onion wedges, remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Cook until soft and just beginning to color, about 2 minutes. Be sure not to stir onions too much during cooking so they hold their shape. Remove from heat, and let stand in pan until cool to the touch.
• Make an egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water. Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Roll out puff pastry 1/4 inch thick. Using a pastry wheel, cut into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle, reserve scraps for another use. Transfer to a baking sheet. Score the edge of the tart by running a sharp knife around the perimeter of the pastry 1/4 inch from edge, cutting only halfway through dough. Brush edges of tart with egg wash.
• Spread ricotta mixture evenly within the borders of the scoring. Scatter half of the mushrooms over the ricotta. Lay the Cantal slices evenly over the mushrooms. Gently combine the remaining mushrooms with the cooled onions and the sliced onion greens. Scatter this mixture evenly over the cheese. Can be made ahead up to this point and refrigerated for up to 1 day.
• Bake until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown, about 24 minutes, turning once after 12 minutes. Remove from oven, let rest for 1 to 2 minutes. Cut into 6 slices. Serve with parsley salad.

ONION TART WITH MUSTARD AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Stir together yeast and warm water in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.)
• Put 1 1/2 cups flour in a medium bowl, then make a well in center of flour and add yeast mixture to well. Stir together egg, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt with a fork. Add egg mixture to yeast mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or your fingertips, gradually incorporating flour, until a soft dough forms. Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead, working in additional flour (up to 1/4 cup) as necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• While dough rises, heat remaining 1/3 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté fennel seeds until a shade darker, about 30 seconds. Stir in onions, remaining teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover onions directly with a round of parchment paper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are very tender and golden brown, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
• Knead dough gently on a floured surface with floured hands to deflate. Pat out dough on a large heavy baking sheet (preferably blue steel) into a 15- by 12-inch rectangle, turning up or crimping edge, then brush mustard evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edge. Spread onions evenly over mustard, then sprinkle evenly with cheese.
• Bake tart until crust is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cut into 2-inch squares or diamonds and serve warm or at room temperature.

CITRUS SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small skillet over high heat, boil 1/2 cup fresh orange juice and 1/4 cup fresh lime juice until reduced to 1/2 cup, 8 to 12 minutes.
• Remove from heat; whisk in 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

WILD MUSHROOM TART

Steps:

• Make the tart dough: Put the 2 cups flour and salt in the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (If you don't have one, you can prepare the dough by hand.) With the mixer set on low speed, work half of the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add remaining butter cubes and ice water, and mix just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very soft, studded with butter chunks and a bit sticky - this is correct.
• You should have 550 grams/20 ounces of dough. Divide into 2 (275-gram/10-ounce) balls. Dust each with a little flour and press into a disk about 1-inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Dust the work surface with flour. Press one disk into a rough square, then roll it into a 6-by-12-inch sheet. Fold the sheet in half, making a 6-inch square. Dust with flour lightly, as necessary, and roll the square into a 6-by-12-inch sheet again, then fold in half to make a 6-inch square. Finally, roll dough into a 6-by-18-inch sheet, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate, wrapped, for 30 minutes to keep dough from shrinking when baked, or freeze. (Roll out the rest of the dough at your leisure, then freeze for the future, or refrigerate and use within 2 days.)
• Make the filling: Set a wide skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When oil is wavy, add onions. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove onions and set aside.
• In the same pan over medium-high heat, add mushrooms (and a little more oil if necessary). Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and red-pepper flakes (if using), stir well and turn off heat. Combine mushrooms and onions, set aside and let cool to room temperature. (Filling can be made several hours in advance and left at room temperature, if desired.)
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Using a small rubber spatula, spread crème fraîche over the pastry sheet, leaving a 1-inch border. Distribute onion-mushroom mixture evenly over the crème fraîche. Dust with Parmesan and fold pastry edges up, pinching at the corners to form a low rim. Bake until pastry is crisp and golden and top of mixture is lightly browned, about 30 to 35 minutes.
• Slide baked tart onto a cutting board and pull away the parchment. Let tart cool slightly before cutting. Sprinkle with parsley and cut tart crosswise into wide slices (or, if preferred, into wedges). Serve warm.