Wild Mushroom, Watercress And Blue Cheese Tart
- 1 pound mixed wild mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 scant cup watercress leaves
- 3 1/2 ounces Picos blue cheese, crumbled
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 4 extra large free-range eggs
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 5 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into pieces
- 4 tablespoons chilled lard, cut into pieces
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- For the pastry, spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 78 minutes.
- Remove and leave to cool.
- Put them into a food processor and add a heaping 1/3 cup of the flour.
- Grind together briefly until the nuts are finely chopped.
- Add the remaining flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt, together with the butter and lard, and process briefly once more, until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.
- Transfer the mixture into a bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons cold water until the mixture comes together into a ball, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth.
- Roll out thinly, adding a little more flour to the surface and use to line a lightly greased loose-based 9-inch 11/2-inch deep tart pan.
- Chill for 20 minutes.
- Put a baking sheet on the middle shelf of the oven, and leave it to get hot.
- Line the pastry case with foil and a thin layer of baking beans, slide it onto the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and beans and return to the oven for 5 minutes, until the pastry is lightly golden.
- Remove and set aside while you make the filling.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375F.
- Clean the wild mushrooms thoroughly by brushing away any dirt with a dry pastry brush and wiping them with a damp cloth if necessary.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat, add half the mushrooms and some seasoning and fry briskly for 1 minute until they have softened slightly and any excess moisture has evaporated.
- Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remainder.
- Scatter the mushrooms, watercress leaves and blue cheese evenly over the base of the pastry case.
- Beat together the cream and eggs with some seasoning, pour the mixture into the tart pan and return it to the baking sheet.
- Bake for 3035 minutes, until set and lightly golden.
- Serve warm, cut into wedges.
mushrooms, olive oil, watercress leaves, blue cheese, heavy cream, eggs, salt, walnut pieces, flour, butter, chilled lard
Taken from www.foodrepublic.com/recipes/wild-mushroom-watercress-and-blue-cheese-tart-recipe/ (may not work)