Savory Mushroom Tarts

Gather the ingredients. Position two racks in the top and bottom parts of the oven and heat to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make an egg wash by whisking together 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons whole milk, and a pinch of fine salt in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.

Place 1 sheet thawed puff pastry on a floured work surface and roll and trim the dough into a 10-inch square. 

Cut out four 5-inch squares. 

Using a small paring knife cut slits in the dough 1/2-inch from the edge and parallel to the edge. Leave two opposing corners where you do not connect the cuts. Think of a picture frame where two opposing corners are taped together.

Brush egg wash on the borders of the “frames.” 

Gently lift one of the corners where it has been cut through and fold the frame over diagonally to the edge of the inside square. 

Carefully lift the other side of the frame and lay it over to the other side. You should now have a square with a higher border and twists on two corners. Place them on the prepared sheet pan.

Cut four 4-inch squares of parchment paper and fold up the edges about an inch. You want it to fit on the inner square of your pastry. Brush the border and twists with two coats of egg wash. Line the inside with the parchment squares and fill with baking weights, dry beans, or uncooked rice. Freeze the pastry shells for 13 to 15 minutes. 

Blind bake the shells on the bottom oven rack until deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and carefully lift the parchment cups off with the weights. 

Place the tray back in the oven and bake on the top rack until the dough that was under the weights is light golden and baked through, about 5 minutes more. Allow to cool to room temperature on the sheet pan or wire rack.

While the pastry bakes, sauté the mushrooms. Carefully clean and dry 12 ounces mixed mushrooms and roughly chop them. Cut bigger mushrooms into slices, weird shaped mushrooms into bite sized pieces, and small mushrooms you can leave whole. 

In a large sauté pan, heat 3 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic becomes fragrant and the mushrooms begin to release their liquid, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Add 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and lower the heat to medium. Sauté, stirring constantly, until cooked through and browned but not soggy, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Add 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt to a medium bowl and hand whip until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. 

Once the pastry shells have fully cooled, fill each pastry with 2 to 3 tablespoons of ricotta and smooth it out using the back of a spoon. Drizzle the ricotta with a tiny bit of olive oil and season with freshly ground black pepper. Repeat with the rest of the tarts.

Divide the mushrooms into four portions and pile them on top of the ricotta. Garnish with a sprig of thyme, a drizzle of chili oil, if desired, and flaky sea salt. Serve immediately.