Mushroom-almond Tart

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 50 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into bits
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons ice water
• 2 tablespoons chopped shallots
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 lb mushroom, chopped fine
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons minced parsley
• 1 1/4 cups salted roasted almonds, ground fine
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 egg, with
• 1 pinch salt
• 12 -13 salted almonds

Recipe

• 1 make crust: in a bowl, combine flour and salt; add butter and rub with fingertips until it resembles coarse meal.
• 2 add yolks and 2 tblsps ice water, or enough to form a soft, but not sticky, dough, tossing with a fork, and form into a ball.
• 3 knead dough lightly with heel of hand for a few seconds to distribute butter.
• 4 re-form into a ball and chill, wrapped, for 1 hour.
• 5 (may be made 2 days in advance) butter an 8 inch tart pan with a removable, fluted rim.
• 6 roll out 2/3s of dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly-floured surface.
• 7 fit it into prepared tart pan, pushing dough down slightly at top edge of pan to make the walls thicker than the bottom.
• 8 roll rolling pin over top of dough to cut off excess and press dough gently against pan so that it rises ¼ inch above the rim.
• 9 prick bottom lightly with fork and chill 30 minutes.
• 10 roll out remaining dough 1/8 inch thick and, with a sharp knife, cut out 8, 8 ½ x ½ inch strips.
• 11 chill strips on a lightly-floured baking sheet for about 30 minutes (let soften at room temperature 5 minutes before using).
• 12 make filling: cook shallot in butter over moderately-low heat, stirring, until softened.
• 13 add mushrooms, season to taste, and cook over moderately-high heat, stirring, for 4 minutes, or until liquid is evaporated.
• 14 transfer to a small bowl and let cool to room temperature.
• 15 in a bowl, whisk together cream, whole egg, egg yolks and stir in mushroom mixture, parsley, ground almonds, nutmeg, and season to taste.
• 16 put a baking sheet in lower third of oven and preheat to 425 degrees f.
• 17 spoon filling into shell.
• 18 brush rim with some egg wash.
• 19 arrange 4 of pastry strips parallel to one another and trim ends flush with shell, pressing them gently into shell.
• 20 arrange remaining 4 strips over to form a diamond pattern and repeat trimming.
• 21 bake tart 10 minutes.
• 22 reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees f.
• 23 leaving tart on baking sheet, arrange almonds between strips and brush them and strips with remaining egg wash.
• 24 bake 20-25 minutes more, or until pastry is golden-brown and filling is set.
• 25 let cool 12 minutes before removing side of pan.
• 26 serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.