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Home Cook: Cathy Lee Gruhn, Fairfield, Conn., blogger at Butter, Flour, Sugar, Salt
Story Behind Recipe: "Corn is a summer kitchen staple in our kitchen. I can remember, as a little girl, helping my mother husk corn when we had it at dinner. I would tug at the green husks and then meticulously remove every silk strand.
Searching for something new that included corn, I came across a Martha Stewart recipe and when I saw 'cornmeal tart,' I was hooked. Not only would there be corn in the dish, but the actual tart would involve corn (cornmeal).
The recipe was delicious, but I decided to add another layer of flavor -- bacon! The crisp, saltiness of bacon, the sweetness of the corn and the woodiness of the Shitake mushrooms is the trifecta of flavors. This tart is now a favorite of my boyfriend and mine and making it after summer corn has gone will be a snap, because you can use frozen corn in a pinch."
Recipe: Sweet Corn, Bacon and Shitake Mushroom Tart
Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour for dusting
- ½ recipe for Cornmeal Pastry Dough (see below)
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4-5 strips Bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- 6 oz (approx. 6 cups) Shitake mushrooms, stemmed, and sliced
- 1 medium onion, finely cut
- 2 cups fresh corn kernels (approx. 4 ears)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 large eggs
For Cornmeal Dough
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces.
Instructions
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the cornmeal dough to a 13-inch round, about ¼ inch thick and fit it into a 10-inch round flan ring or a tart pan with a removable bottom. Make sure to press the edges into the pan, and then cut off any excess dough with a pair of scissors or sharp knife.
- Chill and set the dough until firm for roughly 30-minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- Line the chilled tart shell with parchment and pie weights or dried beans and blind bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove to the parchment and beans/weights and continue to bake until the shell is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool completely.
- In large sauteé pan, heat the olive oil. Add the mushrooms cooking for two to three minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring until soft and translucent, an additional two to three minutes. Add the corn and chives, stir and cook for an additional two minutes.
- Salt and pepper to taste and then set the corn-mushroom mixture aside. Make the bacon and make sure to pat away any leftover bacon fat – you want the bacon very crisp but dry.
- In a bowl, add the milk, cream and eggs, salt and pepper to taste and whisk together. Add the crisp, crumbled bacon to the bottom of the cooled tart shell and then spoon the corn-mushroom mixture on top.
- Place the tart on a baking sheet, preferably one with a rim; add the milk mixture. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let the cooked tart cool on a wire rack.
Cornmeal Dough
- A twist on a sweet pie or tart dough, the cornmeal adds a subtle savory taste and can be used for any other savory tart recipe. This will make enough for two 9-inch single pie crusts or one 9- inch pie crust.
- As with a classic pie dough, this can be made ahead of time, wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to three weeks. While this dough is made in the food processor, you could also do by hand if you wanted.
Go to www.butterfloursugarsalt.com/ for more recipes.
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