Mushroom and Comté Cheese Tartlets

Mushroom and Comté Cheese Tartlets Recipe

Ingredients (make 6 tartlets)

Thyme shortcrust dough*

- 200gplain flour plus extra flour for rolling the dough.

- 100g chilled diced unsalted butter

- 50ml cold water

- 2 tbsp dried thyme

- pinch of salt

For the filling**

- 400g sliced mushrooms

- 100ml fresh cream

- 2 finely chopped garlic cloves

- 10g unsalted butter

- 60g shaved Comté cheese

- pepper (for seasoning)

1. Let's start with making the dough! It needs to rest for at least one hour in the fridge before use so it is better to make it in advance.

Put the flour, butter and salt in a large bowl. Mix with your fingers until you get a fine crumb.

Add the dry thyme and mix together. Make a well in the centre and pour in the water. Knead the ingredients together quickly, form a ball and wrap it in clingfilm. Leave to rest in the fridge.

2. After one hour, take the dough out. Throw a handful of flour on a large flat surface. Knead the dough gently with the heel of your hand. Roll it out (it is a delicate pastry, do not be too abrupt). It should be 2 or 3mm thick.

Cut circles that are slightly bigger than the tartlets moulds, and line in the moulds. Push the sides out lightly with your fingers and remove the excess on top. Gently prick the bottom of the dough with a fork.

Leave in the fridge while you make the mushroom part.

3. Preheat the oven to 200ºC.

Put a large frying pan over a medium heat and place the butter in it.

When the butter sizzles, add the garlic and the sliced mushrooms and saute them for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cream and stir, leave for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the pepper, stir well.

Let it cool down for 5 to 10 minutes (if you were to put it straight on the dough, it would melt it a bit if it is too hot).

Take your moulds with the dough in it out of the fridge.

Divide the mushrooms between the tartlets, then add the Comté cheese on top.

Put on the middle shelf of the oven and let it bake for 20 minutes.

When it is ready, leave it to cool down for a couple of minutes and unmould delicately.

Serve with a nice watercress salad for example.

* If you have some dough left, you can freeze it or use it for a small vegetable crumble.

** You probably noticed I only use salt in the dough in this recipe. That is because I prefer to let the salt already included in the cheese do its job with the mushrooms.

Bon appétit!