Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry

200 g plain flour, sifted 100 g chilled butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing 1/2 - 1 eggs, beaten For the filling

15 g butter 100 g shallots, finely chopped 200 g button mushrooms, or large flat mushrooms, finely chopped 25 g dried mushrooms, such as porcini 250 ml boiling water 2 eggs 1 egg yolk 250 ml double cream, or regular cream

Method
1. For the shortcrust pastry: place the flour and butter in a food processor and whiz briefly until the butter is in small lumps. Add half the beaten egg and continue to whiz for another few seconds, or until the mixture looks as though it may just come together when pressed. You should be left with a ball of dough. If making by hand, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs then, using your hands, add just enough egg to bring it together. Reserve any leftover egg to use later. 2. Using your hands, flatten out the ball of dough until it is about 2cm thick, then wrap in cling film or a plastic bag and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 3. When you are ready to roll out the pastry, butter a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin and remove the pastry from the fridge. Place it between two sheets of cling film, each larger in size than your tart tin. Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry out to no thicker than 5mm, taking care to keep it in a round shape as well as large enough to line both the base and the sides of the tin. 4. Remove the top layer of cling film, slide your hand, palm upwards, under the bottom layer of cling film, then flip the pastry over (so that the cling film is now on top) and carefully lower it into the tart tin. With the cling film still attached, press the pastry into the edges of the tin and, using your thumb, cut the pastry along the edge of the tin for a neat finish. Remove the cling film, prick the base all over with a fork and chill the pastry in the fridge for another 30 minutes or in the freezer for 10

minutes. 5. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Remove the pastry from the fridge and line with foil, greaseproof paper or baking parchment, leaving plenty over the sides. Fill with baking beans or dried pulses (both of which can be reused repeatedly), then place in the oven and bake blind for 15 20 minutes or until the pastry feels dry in the base. Take out of the oven, remove the baking beans and foil/paper, brush the base of the pastry with any leftover beaten egg, then bake for another 3 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside. 6. For the filling: melt the butter in a large frying pan on a medium heat, add the shallots, cover with a lid and cook for 7 8 minutes or until soft but not browned. Stir in the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook, uncovered, for 8 10 minutes or until soft and dark. 7. While the mushrooms are cooking, soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid, then finely chop the soaked mushrooms and add to the shallot and mushroom mixture along with the soaking liquid. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until the liquid has completely evaporated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. 8. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk and cream, then add to the mushrooms. Mix together and then pour into the pre-baked tart case. Cook for about 30 minutes in the oven or until the filling has completely set. 9. Remove the tart from the oven, cut into slices while warm and serve with a generous drizzle of the tarragon hollandaise.