Quiches, Torte, Pies
Quiches, Torts and Pies have been around since chickens were laying eggs, man discovered that rennet hardened cheese and learnt to harvest and grind flour for bread and, of course, pie crusts.
For me the ultimo in quiches or in this case torte is Chef Giuliano Bugiallis and his delectable Torta di Funghi. Bugiallis, a complete unknown to more than most of you, is to me one of the culinary greats responsible for the rejuvenation of Culinaria Italiana in the 1980s and 90s. He won the prestigious Caterina de Medici award for his outstanding contribution to Italian cooking, voted top chef of Italy, and his cook book was awarded the ‘Tastemakers’ award for best international cookbook in 1982. Bugiallis, while without the bling and glam of todays reality cooking, should be considered a legitimate if not distant predecessor to the infamous TV chefs of today, Jamie Oliver and Hell’s Kitchen’s Gordon Ramsey.
Bugiallis is one of my heroes and personally voted by me as one of my favourites to steal traditional Italian recipes from.
If you love Italian cooking I strongly recommend that you try to lay your hands on a copy of Foods of Italy, Giuliano Bugiallis 1984. Perhaps Amazon has used copies available.
Torta di funghi (Wild mushroom Tart) Photo credit The BFD.
Torta Di Funghi (Wild Mushroom Tart)
This one is great for both the vegetarian and the lactose intolerant or just those that love a good tart. The main ingredients are porcini (little pig) mushrooms. This is a tart that is made without cream and instead uses the liquids of soaked porcini (vegetarian option) or beef stock. Unique in both presentation and taste, I highly recommend that you give it a go.
For the crust
- White flour x 250 gram
- Butter x 125 gram
- Milk or water x 75 gram
- Salt x 7 gram
- Pinch of pepper
- Large pinch of dry oregano
Mix dry ingredients for 30 seconds, add butter and mix until it is absorbed into flour and becomes like a gravel. Add liquid and it should come together quickly. Wrap in Glad wrap and place in fridge to rest for half an hour.
Using a tart pan with a removable bottom, sprinkle flour on the base of the pan, liberally sprinkle flour on work surface and on dough. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to a thickness of 3 mm, roll up the dough on the rolling pin, then unroll it into the pan. Using fingers, press into place around the sides, prick base with a fork, cut off excess around rim.
Cover the dough in the pan with enough Glad wrap leaving 10-15 cm extra around the sides, pour in dry beans or chickpeas and blind bake at 180 C for twenty minutes. Remove the Glad wrap; package with the Chickpeas or beans and continue baking until base colours, then remove from oven to cool.
For the Filling
- Dried porcini mushrooms x 50 gram
- Medium-sized red onion x 1
- Half bunch Italian parsley
- Zest of one lemon
- Butter x 30 gram
- Shluk olive oil
- Heaped tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup beef stock or water from porcini mushrooms
- Salt and pepper to taste
Plus
- Extra large eggs x 3
- Freshly grated parmigiano x ½ cup
While the tart base is blind baking in the oven, place the porcini into a container and pour in about 300 ml of boiling water and let it rehydrate. After ten minutes, remove porcini and set aside, making sure they are clean from dirt. Using a sieve with a double layer of kitchen paper, sieve the porcini liquid, retaining the liquid and discarding the kitchen paper with the debris. (The porcini liquid is saved for the vegetarian version and used instead of the beef stock.) If you wish to use beef stock, freeze the porcini liquid for another time or discard it.
In a pan add butter and olive oil and when hot add the finely diced red onion, toss until it starts to become transparent, making sure not to burn ir. Add the mushrooms, parsley and lemon zest to the pan, then the salt and pepper, then add the tomato paste, the broth or porcini liquid; cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, add a heaped teaspoon of flour and mix well, removing from the gas to cool.
In a bowl mix the three eggs with the parmigiano, add a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper, mix in the fried mushroom mixture and then pour back into the tart shell. Return the tart to the oven for another 20 minutes at 180 ºC or until ready.
Enough of tarts, this one will certainly prove its pedigree. Next week a hearty winter soup to warm the cockles and tickle the taste buds.
Peace be with you or as the guy firing the Grad rockets at Israel says, Salaam Alekum.
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