The perfect party bites, these wild mushroom tartlets make an elegant starter for a special dinner. Or serve one or two tartlets per person with a green salad, like this Arugula Fennel Salad, and you’ve got a delicious and beautiful light entree or brunch dish. These mushroom tartlets are a breeze to make, thanks to modern grocery store conveniences, like pre-sliced wild mushrooms and ready-to-bake puff pastry shells.
Years ago, I tasted a mushroom tart that someone brought to a pot luck Thanksgiving dinner celebration at a friend’s house. For me, it was the most memorable dish of the evening and I sought out the recipe. I printed it out, but never made it. Thinking about it recently, I dug it out of my recipe files and set out to make it a bit simpler to make. I also made it more dinner party friendly – individual portions, rather than a large tart.
The original recipe was created by chef and restauranteur Michael Chiarello, who is known for a delicious style of food that blends his Southern Italian roots with his Napa Valley wine country lifestyle. In addition to the 10 restaurants he has founded, Michael has hosted a number of cooking shows on the Food Network, Cooking Channel and PBS. He is also a wine maker at his highly rated Chiarello Family Vineyards in St. Helena, California. Esquire magazine named Michael Chiarello “Chef of the Year” in 2013.
Ingredients for Wild Mushroom Tartlets
Mushrooms: Make it easy on yourself. Most grocery stores carry pre-sliced wild mushrooms. They save so much time! Use a variety of mushrooms for best flavor. I like using a combination of shiitake, oyster and cremini mushrooms.
Ready-to-bake Puff Pastry Shells: These pre-made pastry shells are so easy and so impressive. Pepperidge Farm makes a great version that is easy to find in American grocery stores. Just pop them into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the center “cap” and the soft pastry below, and you are left with a crispy shell waiting to be filled with deliciousness.
Other Ingredients:
- extra virgin olive oil
- butter
- sea salt
- garlic
- shallots
- thyme
- heavy cream
- lemon juice
- Parmesan
- egg
- parsley
- goat cheese
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for Wild Mushroom Tartlets
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter on medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, sea salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid released by the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms begin to brown. Watch carefully at the end of this process and stir more frequently, so your mushrooms don’t burn.
Add the shallots, garlic and thyme and cook until the shallots and garlic take on a golden color.
Lower the heat to medium, add the cream and bring to a simmer. When the liquid is reduced by half, add the parmesan and lemon juice.
Remove the pan from heat and stir in the egg. Let cool to room temperature and then stir in the parsley.
While the mushroom mixture cools, pre-bake the puff pastry shells on a cookie sheet lined with parchment for 15 minutes in a 400ºF (375ºF convection) oven. When cool enough to handle, use a fork to remove the center “cap” and the soft pastry below, leaving just a crisp pastry shell.
Fill the pastry shells with the mushroom mixture and top each with a bit of the crumbled goat cheese. Place back in the oven for 15 minutes. Serve while still warm.
Top tip
I have eaten these tarts warm and at room temperature. In a pinch, serve them at room temperature, but I think they taste best while still warm. They are easy to rewarm: 5 minutes in a 300ºF oven.
Mushroom Tartlets
Ingredients
- 1 lb mixed pre-sliced mushrooms, (I used shiitake, baby bella and oyster)
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1½ tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 pkg ready-to-bake puff pastry shells (6 shells)
- 1 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter on medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, sea salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid released by the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms begin to brown. Watch carefully at the end of this process and stir more frequently, so your mushrooms don’t burn.
- Add the shallots, garlic and thyme and cook until the shallots and garlic take on a golden color.
- Lower the heat to medium, add the cream and bring to a simmer. When the liquid is reduced by half, add the parmesan and lemon juice.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in the egg. Let cool to room temperature and then stir in the parsley.
- While the mushroom mixture cools, pre-bake the puff pastry shells on a cookie sheet lined with parchment for 15 minutes in a 400ºF (375ºF convection) oven. When cool enough to handle, use a fork to remove the center “cap” and the soft pastry below, leaving just a crisp pastry shell.
- Fill the pastry shells with the mushroom mixture and top each with a bit of the crumbled goat cheese. Place back in the oven for 15 minutes. Serve while still warm.
Linda Laurens
To make it vegan:
Pepperidge Farm pastry cups happens to be ‘accidentally’ vegan, since they use vegetable shortening in them.
I replaced the butter with vegan butter, the heavy cream with a little vegan sour cream, omit the egg (I don’t think it really needs it) and some vegan cheese on top instead of goats cheese. Easy and just as delicious!
Rae Ann Alton
Oh, I love the idea of making this vegan! Some brands of puff pastry, like Dufours, are made with butter and it never occurred to me to look at the Pepperidge Farm ingredients. Thank you so much, Linda. I’m going to add this variation to the post for all of my vegan friends!