Makes 8 canapés
Given that country house hotel Chewton Glen has a bit off a rep for putting on exceptional events, it should come as no surprise that its cookery school The Kitchen is particularly adept when it comes to canapés. These bite-size pastry nibbles are perfect party fodder, giving a starring role to a classic French supporting actor – the finely chopped duxelles mushroom mixture often found giving depth and flavour to beef wellington.
They’re light(ish), delicious, easy to make, and dangerously moreish…
Ingredients
-
150g pre-rolled puff pastry
-
250g flat field mushrooms, sliced
-
10g butter
-
1 shallot, sliced
-
1 garlic clove, crushed
-
1 tbsp crème fraîche
-
1 egg yolk
-
Large pinch dried thyme
-
4-5 drops truffle oil
Method
1.Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/gas mark 6.
2. Using a cutter slightly larger than the diameter of a mini-muffin tin, stamp out eight circles of puff pastry. Before lining, use a fork to stab through the pastry several times. Gently press the pastry into the cases, making sure it gets right into the corners. Chill until needed.
3. Roast the mushrooms, shallots and garlic in the oven until they have softened and any juices have evaporated.
4. Put the cooked mushrooms mixture and dried thyme into a food processor. Blend to a rough paste.
5. Allow to cool then stir through the egg yolk and crème fraîche. Season to taste with truffle oil, salt and pepper.
6.Fill a piping bag with the mushroom mixture and generously fill the uncooked puff pastry cases.
7.Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the puff pastry is golden and crisp and the mushroom mix is warm through.
8.To serve, sprinkle over a few additional drops of truffle oil whilst the tartlets are still hot.