Recipe: Easy Cheesy Chanterelle & Chicken Puff Pastry Tart

Summer meals don’t have to be complicated.

Two chance finds at two different local farmers’ markets yielded an assortment of wild and fresh mushrooms, and gave me an opportunity to make this tart for a light but show-stopping meal.

The important bit? It needs fresh mushrooms, pre-cooked chicken if you are using meat, good melty cheese, and of course, puff pastry.

Adaptation: My pre-cooked chicken was from two chicken drumsticks that were cooked with tandoori spices and yogurt. Use whatever you have handy, even a simple rotisserie chicken or baked chicken breast spiced any way you like won’t hurt the final recipe.

If you are not using meat - double up on your mushrooms for a nice chewy texture. Paneer is a good alternative for parmesan - although isn't as crumbly.

Easy Cheesy Chanterelle & Chicken Puff Pastry Tart

Makes: 6 large tarts

Time: 30 minutes, if using pre-cooked chicken**.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. butter

½ cup white onion, finely diced

¼ cup chanterelle mushroom, cleaned and diced

3-4 fresh shitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin

¼ cup finely chopped tender broccolini

½ - ¾ cup shredded pre-cooked chicken meat** (or add more mushrooms)

Salt, to taste

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

2 tbsp. cream cheese, or goat cheese

2 tbsp. shredded parmesan cheese

1 box prepared puff pastry sheets (contains 2 sheets), thawed and ready to use

½ cup Monterey Jack cheese

2 tbsp. shredded parmesan cheese to garnish

Method: Topping:

Melt the butter in a saucepan and sweat the onions on low until they are soft and translucent. Add both sets of mushrooms and cook until they are softened. Add the chopped broccolini, and cook this for 1 minute, follow up with the shredded chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove this from the heat. Stir in the cream cheese, and shredded parmesan cheese while it is still warm. This is the topping.

The filling can be made ahead of time, up to two days: Skip the broccolini and cheeses in the make-ahead version. On the day of the event, return the partial filling to a saucepan, warm it through and add the broccolini, and allow it to soften. Then remove from the heat and stir in the two cheeses. Assemble the tart as below.

Method: Assembly:

Unfold the puff pastry sheets onto a large board, dust away the excess flour and lightly run a rolling pin over to even out any cracks. Slice each sheet into a third. Using a fork, prick through the puff pastry sheet leaving ¼ inch edge along all sides of each portioned sheet.

Layer the center of each portion with shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the topping evenly on top of this bed of cheese. Sprinkle any leftover Monterey Jack cheese on top.

Bake as per package instructions until the puff pastry is golden. Serve warm with a sprinkling of shredded parmesan cheese.