Free-Style Mushroom, Herb and Ricotta Tart | Baking with Dorie

This is an unconventional tart. It might be called a tray tart, if I can make up such a term. There are three layers to the construction of the tray tart: the tray, the ricotta spread and the mushroom topping. As it turns out, the tart is better than I’ve expected. All the layers and ingredients work well together and it’s very delicious.

I made the mushroom tart yesterday, Christmas Day, for lunch. Guess what, it earned a universal seal of approval. The tart was so delightful and novel; it became the topic of our lengthy food discussions around the table, mostly about its size and how best to serve it.

Using Dorie’s recipe on raggedy-edged almond-herb crust, I made four individual-served round crusts. The recipe is similar to that of the all-purpose tart dough, except for adding almond flour to the flour components. Almond flour, which I make by pulsing almonds in the Vitamix, adds a lighter texture to the crust.

In the food processor, pulse together flours, salt and cold butter. Drop in the herbs and the egg. Pulse until the dough forms clumps and curds. Add a splash of cold water until the dough comes together. I then flatten the dough and roll it into four individual disks. Rest them in the freezer for an hour. Finally, bake the crusts for about 18-20 minutes, covered, in a 400°F oven. Then uncover to give the crusts some color. We got four trays, sturdy and tasty, ready to go.

To make the ricotta spread, combine ricotta, yogurt, shallot, scallions and finely minced fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. There is no cooking involved, just blend all the ingredients together. Dorie recommends draining the finished spread for 30 minutes. I did but didn’t really need it.

To make the mushroom topping, brown the mushroom, together with garlic, in a large skillet with olive oil and butter. Deglaze with white wine. Everyone raves about the mushroom topping. Obviously, the visual and the taste of the mushrooms rely heavily on the kind and quality of the mushroom selected. We’re already planning for our next mushroom tray tart. The various fancy mushrooms we can get from HMart come to mind.

Here’s the big question on how to serve it. The opinions in my house have been all over the places. One thing we all agree: micro-greens casually tossed on the tart is winsome. About the shape: round like a pizza, rectangle like a focaccia, or square? Then comes the size: bite-size, bagel-size or a big communal, party size. All I can say is: I prefer to put a knife out there without precutting anything. No more work for the cook!

Happy holidays and enjoy all the baking and good eats!

Print Recipe

Raggedy-Edged Almond-Herb Crust

By Dorie Greenspan – Serves: Makes 1 crust

It works like a kind of platter, a delicious base for savory spreads and toppings. Biggest advantage: free style.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (204g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (3/4 oz, 50g) almond flour or an equal weight of almonds, finely ground in a food processor
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 stick (8 tbsp, 4 oz, 113g) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 2 to 3 tbsp minced fresh herbs
• 1 cold large egg, tightly beaten

Instructions

1

Put both flours and salt in a food processor and pulse to blend. Drop in pieces of butter and pulse about 15 times. You want the mixture to pass from the looks-like-sand stage into the discernible crumb stage. Scrape the bottom of the bowl a couple of times.

2

MAKE THE DOUGH: Drop in the herbs and pulse only to blend. Add the egg in 3 additions, pulsing after each, and then pulse (and scrap if necessary) until the dough forms clumps and curds. It should hold together when pinched. If the dough seems dry, pulse a few times more. If it still seems dry, add a splash of cold water and pulse again.

3

Turn the dough out, gather it into a ball. Working with a bit at a time, rub the dough across the counter with the heels of your hand (this finishes the blending). Gather the dough together again and flatten it into a disk.

4

SHAPE THE DOUGH: Place the dough between two sheets of patchment and roll to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Don't worry about the shape or the edges. You want them ragged. Prick the dough all over with a fork and slide it, still between the paper, onto a baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or freeze for at least 1 hour.

5

BAKE: Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 400°F. Peel away both sheets of parchment. Put the bottom piece of paper on the baking sheet. Place the dough onto it and cover it loosely with the top sheet to keep it from coloring too much. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden around the edges. Remove the top sheet and bake for another 2 to 3 minutes, to give the crust more color and firmness. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and let the crust cool to room temperature.

Notes

Crust is best used within 8 hours. Adapted from Baking with Dorie by Dorie Greenspan.