Cake or mushroom tart. Boletus Edulis and chanterelles

When Autumn arrives , or this “Veroño” as they have baptized it this year, the mountain is full of chestnuts and above all, one of the ingredients that I like the most, mushrooms . After the first rains of September the appearance of this delicacy begins and in October we can say that we are in the middle of the mushroom season . My parents-in-law are passionate about this world, I am lucky, because they always give me a ticket or a chanterelle from their journey through the Madrid mountains. On this occasion, Encarna has prepared a mushroom tart or cake that I recommend you prepare at home, the flavor of the leek, reminiscent of a Lorraine quiche but with all the taste of mushroom, earthy.

The balance of flavors in this cake is perfect. The leek and the cream  provides forcefulness so that you will not be hungry, I assure you. The mushrooms that we have used, Boletus Edulis and chanterelles are light, with a high content of water and with high amounts of vitamins and minerals, give this cake a great variety of aromas and flavors. Mushrooms and chestnuts have entered my kitchen to stay until Christmas, I love Autumn.

For those who do not have the opportunity to get these two species, do not worry, you can access the canned or canned mushrooms or fungi that you have on the market. And if you do not dare with them, you can always turn to the cultivation mushroom that is available throughout the year, the thistle mushroom or the appreciated mushrooms, they are worth to give that aroma and flavor to this cake. Remember that you have to cook with seasonal produce and take advantage of the ingredients they provide. Mushrooms and mushrooms are healthy ingredients for this season, versatile and diverse and I encourage you to take advantage of them to achieve nutritious as well as light dishes, at this time of year.

We can prepare very diverse dishes, from this tart to a pasta dish , a risotto with mushrooms , empanadas , salads or a wonderful stew . Any occasion is perfect to pay us a tribute, I hope you like this cake, very easy to prepare and that is left with a delicious texture and a lot of yummy flavor.

Preparation of the mushroom tart

1. We can choose any type of fungus or mushroom for this mushroom cake , although my favorites this season are Boletus Edulis and chanterelles . First we will clean the mushrooms well, removing all the sand with a clean cloth. You know they don’t get wet. They are then chopped; but we are left with a couple of them to laminate them lengthwise and use them to decorate the cake and to see what kind of mushrooms the cake has. We reserve.
2. We place the dough in a low mold without removing the paper that comes with it in the package. It is sulfurized paper and it will avoid us having to spread the mold with butter so that the dough does not stick. Press lightly around the edge to shape it.
3. With a fork we prick the entire base well to prevent the dough from growing excessively during baking and put raw legumes on top (to avoid bubbles forming underneath).
4. With the oven previously heated to 180º C, we half-cook the dough for approximately 10-15 minutes, until it is slightly toasted. This pre-cooking is very important to prevent the cake from breaking due to the weight of the filling in the final mold release. This will be perfect for you.
5. We are going to cut the leek, this time we will only use the white part of the leeks, so we will cut through the area before the leaves, where we appreciate that the stem begins to have a green hue. We also remove the lower part or root, where it has that kind of “whiskers”. Do not throw away the excess part, you can take advantage of the leaves to add them to a vegetable broth and the stem in a sauce.
6. We run the white stems under running water to clean them and remove any dirt or dirt that they bring. We cut them lengthwise into two halves and then chop them into portions about 2-3 cm thick.
7. Sauté in a frying pan with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, the leek, about 3-4 minutes at medium temperature. We want them to cook and soften before adding the mushrooms. We give it a point of salt, in this way they release their water and cook before. Add the chosen mushrooms, mix and fry for about 5 minutes.
8. In a bowl, pour the cream and the previously beaten eggs and mix well. Add a pinch of ground black pepper and salt, beat.
9. When we see that the mushrooms and leek are ready, we add them to the bowl and stir to integrate.
10. We pour the mixture over the pre-baked dough and put it in the oven already hot at 200º C for 20 or 25 minutes, until we see that the egg is curdled. We check that the quiche is baked by pricking it with a toothpick. If it comes out dry it is already done.

We can take it both cold and hot, but I think that just out of the oven it is in its fullness. Cheer up and prepare it you will see that it is delicious and simple and if you do you will tell me. Just yummy.

I encourage you to visit more recipes for tapas, snacks and pinchos  perfect for an unforgettable evening with yours. Perfect for a light dinner, a party or, yes, a delicious way to share food with friends and the people you love.

Tips and recommendations

• You can help your cake have more flavor and a different touch by adding a little bacon or bacon. It will give you a more energetic touch. If you can’t find a bacon, you can use bacon or if you prefer a lighter version, you can also do it with turkey tacos or cooked ham.
• This cake I like to take it hot, but if we remove it from the oven, just remove it from the oven and it will almost certainly break. I let it cool in the fridge and remove it when it is warm.
• We can choose any type of fungus or mushroom for this mushroom cake, although my favorites this season are Boletus Edulis and chanterelles. But not only from these mushrooms does man live, you have thistle mushrooms, moixernons, hats, … the forest is full of them. If we choose cultivated mushrooms they have their advantages: they can be consumed all year round, they are available at good prices and they are never poisonous. You can also use the packages of various mushrooms that you will find in supermarkets (a package of frozen various mushrooms can be used).
• Most of the edible mushrooms and fungi have similar nutritional characteristics, however, we can get very different species in color, format and texture, for example chanterelles are very different from mushrooms and these are also notably different from oyster mushrooms or the trumpets of death.
• If you prefer, we can also add a little garlic and very chopped parsley, but I like it that way because I do not mask or cover the aroma of these mushrooms with anything.
• If you feel creative you can try other combinations for your cake: with ham, with spinach and pine nuts …