Honey Fungus Tart is a modern British recipe for a classic tart of honey fungus in an egg and tomato based baked in a rich shortcrust pastry shell. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Honey Fungus Tart.
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The slight sweetness of honey fungus works well as a tart, though you could substitute charcoal burner or trooping funnel.
Ingredients:
For the Pastry:
125g Italian ‘00’ flour (fine pastry flour)
60g unsalted butter
¼ tsp salt
1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp ice cold water
For the Filling:
60g unsalted butter
3 tbsp olive oil
4 shallots, chopped
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
400g honey fungus, coarsely chopped
1 tsp concentrated tomato purée
1 tsp vegetable stock granules
freshly-grated nutmeg
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 190C (gas mark 5).
Combine the flour, butter, salt and egg yolk for the pastry into a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles crumbs. Add in the ice cold water and bring the ingredients together as a dough.
Turn out onto a lightly-floured work surface and using a floured rolling pin roll into a disc large enough to cover the base and sides of a 20cm diameter tart tin. Press the pastry into the edges, trim the excess neatly then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
Remove from the refrigerator after chilling then line the pastry with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beads or baking beans. Sit on a baking tray then transfer to the centre of your pre-heated oven. Bake blind for 15 minutes then remove the beans and greaseproof paper. Return to the oven and continue baking for a further 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C.
Place a sauté pan over medium heat. Add in the butter and oil and when melted use to gently cook the shallots for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the salt, followed by the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes over a high heat. Reduce the heat then stir in the tomato purée.
Continue cooking, stirring, for 2– minutes then mix in the stock granules and a few tablespoons of water. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking for about 30 minutes, or until the mushrooms are fully tender, adding a little more water as needed.
Season to taste with grated nutmeg, salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Take off the heat then mix in the egg. Spoon this filling into the blind baked pastry shell then return to the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes, or until the filling is fully set.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before cutting into wedges and serving.
