Mushroom and Herb Puff Pastry Tarts
At a buffet, puff pastry tarts come in all forms and can be made in advance. Served warm or at room temperature, they can be topped in so many ways. In this version, we went with mushrooms, both chopped and cooked, and fresh and thinly sliced.
Ingredients
- 2 sheets (200 g each) store-bought puff pastry, thawed, cold
- 1 1/2 lb (675 g) white mushrooms
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
- 1 container (120 ml) crème fraîche
- Flat-leaf parsley leaves, for serving
- Watercress or arugula leaves, for serving
Instructions
- With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- On a floured work surface, stack the two sheets of puff pastry on top of each other and roll out to form a 15 x 10-inch (38 x 25 cm) rectangle. Cut the pastry into two long strips. Place the strips on the baking sheet.
- Prick the centre of the pastry strips with a fork, leaving a ½-inch (1 cm) border all the way around. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
- Meanwhile, set aside 6 nice mushrooms to garnish the tarts.
- On a work surface or in a food processor, finely chop the remaining mushrooms.
- In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, brown the chopped mushrooms and garlic in the butter just until the liquid from the mushrooms has completely evaporated, about 12 minutes. Add the rosemary and thyme. Continue to cook for 1 minute while stirring. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
- Add the chives and crème fraîche to the skillet. Mix well. Spread the mushroom mixture over the cooked puff pastry strips while they are still hot, leaving a 1/2-inch (1 cm) border all the way around. Bake for 10 minutes or until the mushrooms start to brown slightly. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, on a work surface, thinly sliced the reserved mushrooms. Garnish the tarts with the fresh mushrooms, parsley and watercress. Cut the tarts into smaller strips crosswise. Serve cooled.
At a buffet, puff pastry tarts come in all forms and can be made in advance. Served warm or at room temperature, they can be topped in so many ways. In this version, we went with mushrooms, both chopped and cooked, and fresh and thinly sliced.