Merchant Gourmet’s Chestnut & Mushroom Tart

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to Gas Mark 6 (200°C). Start by soaking 50g Merchant Gourmet dried mixed mushrooms in a pot of hot boiling water as instructed on packaging and cover until softened
2. Add all dry pastry ingredients to a mixing bowl and create a well. Add cold vegan butter and olive oil into the well and fold the flour in to form a dough. Form into a ball and knead until smooth and elastic. If the dough is slightly too dry add a little water, if it is too wet, add a little extra flour
3. Shape the dough back into a ball and wrap in a sheet of cling film and leave to refrigerate for 15 minutes
4. Whilst the dough is chilling, finely dice onion and mince garlic. Roughly chop 180g of Merchant Gourmet whole chestnuts
5. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy based frying pan until hot and add 1 of the chopped onions. Fry over a medium-high heat until soft and translucent, then add 2 cloves of minced garlic. Add in a little (roughly 1 tsp) salt and pepper and dried mixed herbs
6. Add in 180g chopped Merchant Gourmet whole chestnuts and cook for about 2 minutes, followed by dried cranberries and 25g Merchant Gourmet dried mushrooms and chestnut purée. Season with ground coriander, chilli powder and more salt and pepper to taste. Leave to cook through for 10 minutes before stirring in almond milk and leaving to simmer for a further 5 minutes
7. Whilst the filling is cooking, roll out the pastry dough on a floured surface to a thickness of no less than 3mm. Use the rolling pin to transport the dough from the floured surface to the tart tin and gently press into place using your fingers, trimming away any excess from the edges
8. Blind bake the dough for 5-8 minutes whilst the filling is cooking.
9. Remove the blind baked pastry case from the oven and spoon the filling into the pastry case and level the top with the back of the spoon, placing back onto a baking sheet / tray and putting onto the shop shelf of the oven to cook for 35 – 40 minutes
10. Using the same frying pan, over a medium-high heat add 15g vegan butter and remaining diced onion and fry until soft and translucent, followed by minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste and lower the heat to medium-low. Add in remaining 60g Merchant Gourmet whole chestnuts (which you have already roughly chopped) and remaining 25g Merchant Gourmet dried mixed mushrooms
11. Once the tart has cooked for approximately 25 minutes, pile the mixture from Step 10 onto the top of the tart and place back into the oven for the remaining 10 minutes
12. Once cooked, remove the tart from the oven and garnish with the remaining chopped parsley