Equipment
Ingredients
Savory Shortcrust Pastry
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 125 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 egg, cold
- 30 ml ice water
- 4 g salt
Pickled Shimeji Mushrooms
- 100 g shimeji mushrooms, trimmed and separated
- 100 ml white wine vinegar
- 100 ml water
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 5 g salt
- 2 g black peppercorns, whole
Crispy Bacon Jam
- 200 g smoked bacon, finely chopped
- 100 g shallot, finely diced
- 40 ml maple syrup
- 30 ml apple cider vinegar
- 30 ml brewed espresso
Brown Butter Mushroom Filling
- 400 g button mushrooms, sliced
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 2 garlic, minced
- 150 ml heavy cream
- 3 eggs
- 40 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 5 g salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 569 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbohydrates
- 38 g
- Fat
- 41 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 1154 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 21 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Cholesterol
- 178 mg
- Potassium
- 410 mg
- Calcium
- 121 mg
- Iron
- 2.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 33 mg
- Phosphorus
- 218 mg
- Zinc
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 321 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.9 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 1.22 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.63 mg
- Niacin
- 4.8 mg
- Folate
- 47 mcg
- Water
- 157 g
- Caffeine
- 8 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine white wine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and peppercorns in a small saucepan and bring to a rapid boil.
Pour the boiling liquid over the shimeji mushrooms in a heatproof jar and set aside to marinate and cool.
In a food processor, pulse the flour, salt, and cold butter until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs, then add the egg and ice water, pulsing just until a dough forms.
Shape the pastry dough into a flat disc, wrap tightly, and refrigerate to rest the gluten for at least 1 hour.
Fry the finely chopped bacon in a skillet over medium heat until deeply browned and crisp, then remove half of the crispy bacon bits and set aside.
Add the diced shallot to the remaining bacon and rendered fat in the pan, sautéing until completely softened and translucent.
Deglaze the pan with apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and espresso, reducing the mixture until thick and jam-like, then fold the reserved crispy bacon back in.
Melt the unsalted butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, swirling until the milk solids toast to a deep hazelnut color and give off a nutty aroma.
Sauté the sliced button mushrooms and minced garlic in a dry skillet over high heat until all the mushroom liquid evaporates and they achieve a dark roasted color.
Blend the roasted mushrooms, warm brown butter, heavy cream, whole eggs, grated parmesan, salt, and pepper in a food processor until it forms a smooth, rich custard base.
Roll the chilled tart dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm thickness.
Carefully drape and shape the rolled dough into the 22cm tart tin, pressing firmly into the corners and trimming the excess overhang.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Line the pastry shell with parchment paper, fill with pie weights, and blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment, then bake for an additional 10 minutes until pale golden and dry.
Pour the blended brown butter and mushroom custard filling into the par-baked tart shell, smoothing the top.
Lower the oven temperature to 160°C/320°F and bake the filled tart until the custard is just set but retains a slight wobble in the very center.
Allow the baked tart to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to allow the custard to carry-over cook and firm up before slicing.
Garnish the top of the rested tart with generous dollops of the crispy bacon jam and small clusters of the thoroughly drained pickled shimeji mushrooms.
Chef's Notes
- When making the brown butter, use a stainless steel or light-colored saucepan so you can accurately judge the color of the toasting milk solids to prevent burning.
- Reserving half the bacon to add back at the end of the jam-making process ensures a beautiful textural contrast, keeping the crispy crunch intact against the sticky syrup.
- Do not wash the button mushrooms; brush them clean instead. Waterlogging them will prevent proper roasting and mute the deep, savory umami flavor needed for the custard.
- Brewing the espresso strong for the bacon jam adds crucial bitterness to counteract the maple syrup and rich pork fat.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store components separately if possible to maintain tart shell crispness.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze the baked tart without the bacon jam and pickled mushrooms.
Reheating: Reheat the tart in a 150°C/300°F oven for 10-15 minutes until warmed through before garnishing.
Troubleshooting
Pastry shrinks down the sides of the tart tin during baking
Cause: Gluten was overdeveloped during mixing or the dough was not chilled sufficiently before baking
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked, but structural integrity is rarely compromised
Prevention: Pulse dough minimally and ensure it rests in the refrigerator for the full hour before rolling
Custard splits or cracks on the surface
Cause: Oven temperature was too high or the tart was overbaked past the jiggle stage
Fix: Cover the cracks strategically with the bacon jam and pickled mushroom garnish
Prevention: Drop the temperature precisely to 160°C/320°F and monitor closely during the final 5 minutes of baking
Bacon jam turns rock hard when cooled
Cause: The liquid was reduced too far, turning the sugars into hard candy
Fix: Return to the pan with 2 tablespoons of water and warm gently until softened
Prevention: Stop reducing the jam when it reaches a thick syrup consistency, keeping in mind it will thicken further as it cools
Cultural Context
Rooted in the classic French tarte salée, this modern reimagining borrows techniques from contemporary gastropub cuisine. The incorporation of a sweet-savory bacon jam and sharp, acidic pickles cuts through the intensive richness of the classic butter-and-egg custard.
