Preparation Time:30 minutes
Cooking Time:20 minutes
Level of Difficulty:Easy
Servings:4

Ingredients

• For the savory pastry cases:
• 225g plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-2 egg yolks
• For the filling:
• 400g mixed wild mushrooms
• 8 tbsp extra virgin olive Oil
• 1 large pinch of fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1 large pinch of fresh tarragon, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 small leeks, well washed and sliced
• 12 onions in balsamic (available from a delicatessen)

Method

1. For the savory pastry cases
2. Sift the flour into a bowl and, using your fingertips, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the salt and then mix in enough of the egg yolks to give a soft dough, adding a little cold water if you run out of egg yolk. Wrap the pastry in cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4). Roll the pastry out thinly on a lightly floured work surface and use it to line 4 tart tins, 10cm in diameter. Bake the cases in the oven for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown, then allow them to cool before removing them from the tins.
3. For the filling
4. Carefully clean the mushrooms, cutting the larger ones in half, and gently fry them in a pan with the oil, herbs and garlic until they are tender. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper, remove them from the pan and set them aside to keep warm. Return the pan the mushrooms were cooked in to the heat and add the leeks. Cook them over a moderate heat until they then season them. Meanwhile, warm the pastry cases and the onions through in a warm oven then fill the tarts with the mushroom mixture, to serve, arrange some of the warm leeks in the centre of each of the 4 serving plates. Place the mushroom-filled tarts on top, with the Parmesan scattered over them and some chives across t e top. Arrange the warmed onions around the edge and present them immediately.