This tart would be great made with fresh mizithra cheese, also found as anthotyro but it is not always easy to find it.
Odysea Agora Delicacies Maltby and Greek stock it but you may also use ricotta and it will still be delicious. I was offered foraged field mushrooms which I sliced and arranged in a pretty pattern but portobello or chestnut mushrooms would work too.
You may use ready bought shortcrust pastry if you wish.
Ingredients (serves 4 as a main accompanied by a salad)
For the pastry
- 200g plain flour
- 100g cold butter cut into cubes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
For the filling
- Mushrooms, approx. 250g
- Olive oil for frying
- 250g mizithra
- 100g feta cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp chopped chives
- ½ tsp sweet chilli flakes
- A generous pinch of cayenne pepper
For the topping
- 1 small red onion
- 50g parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tbsp fine dried breadcrumbs
Method
To make the pastry, put the flour, oregano and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and work with your fingers till you have the consistency of breadcrumbs. Add 3-4 tbsp of cold water and work gently into a ball. Do not overwork the dough, you just need to bring it together to a ball. Flatten it with your hands, cover with plastic film and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
In the meantime make the filling.
Trim and clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth. Cut in ½ cm slices. Bring a frying pan with plenty of olive oil to a high heat. Quickly fry the mushroom slices. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Cut the red onion in half and slice thinly.
In a bowl mix the ricotta and feta cheese. Add the two eggs, cayenne, chilli flakes and chopped chives and mix well. Season with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Roll out the pastry to a thickness of approx. 3mm. Line a 23cm loose bottom tart case with the pastry, trim all around, prick with a fork all over and return to the fridge for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 2000C.
Take the tart case base out of the fridge. Place a piece of kitchen paper over the dough and top with baking beans. Bake ‘blind’ for 10 minutes, remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes. Empty the cheese mixture into the tart case and top with the mushroom slices, arranging them in a single layer. Sprinkle with the thin onion slices, parmesan, breadcrumbs and a little more freshly ground black pepper.
Bake the tart for 30-40 minutes till the cheese mixture is firm.
Serve the tart with a Greek salad or some dressed green leaves. Because the colours of the tart are a little flat it will benefit visually from a sprinkling of a few edible flowers such as garlic, amaranth, nasturtium or other but these are not necessary.