i am back & a mushroom ricotta tart

if this blog was a - let's say a pet - like a guinea pig or a bunny or even a cat, it would have died by now. a total lack of attention and - this is what makes me kinda sad, because it is so incredible for me - no food. for 22 days. how bad is that?
it was so lovely to recieve all your e-mails... wondering if i was still alive... somewhere out there... cooking up storms or something. when really i just wasnt hungry and busy with a thing called life. now with those first mean cold nights i am getting back into the kitchen (there is a new daring bakers competition coming up i better not miss - its got chocolate in it). i was happy to discover my oven still worked (but really needs a proper clean-out before i use it the next time) and my hands still loved to make some buttery base for a tart. a mushroom ricotta tart it is that i present you here. how about you get your chanterelles from the market, some fresh ricotta, a twig or two of thyme and you will be ready to go with this wonderful mushroom tart. at least it got ME cooking and darn hungry again...

RECIPE

tart dough

120g flour
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
60g cold butter
ice water

combine flour, salt and sugar in a blender and pulse to combine. cut cold butter & add to the flour, then pulse until largest butter pieces are about the size of almonds. gently add some ice cold water until dough holds together (you dont want it to be wet!). form into a disc, wrap and let chill until firm in the fridge (about 40 mins).

tart filling

250g ricotta
30g freshly grated parmesan (plus more for rolling out tart dough)
pinch of salt
freshly ground pepper
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons of heavy cream
handful of freshly picked thyme

3 hands full of chanterelles (or other mushroom), cleaned & roughly chopped
1/2 red chilli, de-seedes, cut in small pieces
1 small shallot, finely diced
salt & freshly ground pepper

first heat some olive oil in a frying pan, add shallot and cook until starting to soft, then add chilli and chanterelles and fry on high heat until starting to soft. then take off heat and season with salt and pepper. put aside.

mix ricotta with parmesan cheese, add 1 egg yolk and add salt, pepper and thyme in a small bowl.
sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese on your kitchen counter (or directly onto a baking paper), then roll out dough into circle (doesnt have to be perfect!) - about 20cm in diameter. spread filling on the dough, leaving an about 3cm border. arrange the fried mushrooms on top and gently fold the edges of the dough toward the centre, creating a 2cm border. chill until firm.

heat oven to 220c°.
mix remaining egg yolk with heavy cream and brush the edges of the tart with the egg wash and then sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese & some more thyme if you like. transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. then reduce heat to 200c°, rotate the baking sheet and bake for another 20 minutes until the edges become golden brown. remove from oven and slide (with baking paper) on a cooling rack. serve warm or at room temperature.