Imagine if a pizza and a croissant had a baby. It would be a savory, flaky tart just like this! Puff pastry makes the flaky crust, topped with mushrooms, shallots, and thyme, then drizzled with a bit of truffle oil, sprinkled with goat cheese crumbles and baked till puffed and golden. This was my first time working with puff pastry and it was not as difficult as I had feared – it was actually quite easy. I always thought of it as something akin to phyllo dough, which requires brushing each layer with oil or butter as you use it, but puff pastry was much easier to work with. You just kind of unroll it and use it. What a nice surprise!
I’ve adapted this recipe from Joe Yonan’s fun cookbook, Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes for the Single Cook. His version features oyster mushrooms, caramelized onions, and corn. Feel free to invent your own toppings too! Just keep in mind that it is best not to load the puff pastry down with a lot of wet toppings, in case that prevents it from puffing. That’s why I sauteéd the shallots and mushrooms first, to reduce their liquid. Also, his recipe makes one tart, but mine makes two, and you can scale this to make however many you want. You could also make them smaller if you like, for an appetizer – just adjust the size of your puff pastry squares accordingly.
- 1 package (17.3 oz.) puff pastry (2 sheets) - I used Pepperidge Farm brand, found in the freezer section
- 2 T. olive oil
- 8 oz shallots (4-5 medium shallots), chopped
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced, any variety (I used a "gourmet blend" which included shiitake, portabella, and oyster mushrooms)
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped, plus more whole leaves for garnish if desired
- Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ½ tsp. truffle oil (optional)
- 4 oz. crumbled goat cheese
- Make your crust: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. On a lightly floured surface, unroll the puff pastry sheets (one at a time), and pinch the sides up to make a square crust. Transfer each crust to your prepared baking sheet.
- Make the topping: Heat olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook while stirring until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and thyme, sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and continue to cook and stir until the mushrooms have released their liquid and the liquid has mostly evaporated - you want them to be almost dry (this might take another 5 minutes). Turn off the heat, sprinkle with lemon juice, and drizzle with truffle oil (if using). Taste and add more salt & pepper if needed.
- Assemble the tarts: Spread the mushroom-shallot mixture evenly over the surface of the two tarts. Sprinkle with goat cheese crumbles. Bake at 425 F for 20-30 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Transfer each tart to a plate and serve. Enjoy!
