Top 50 Gastropubs

Serves 4

60 Mins

Mushroom tart, poached quail eggs and Béarnaise

The Kings Head, Wye, Ashford

By Rob Cooper

Pastry

  • 120g flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 90g butter – diced
  • 2 – 3 tbsp cold water
  • Juice of 1 lemon

Mushroom Filling (Duxelles)

  • 50g butter
  • 4 shallots – chopped
  • 350g cep mushrooms – chopped
  • Salt & pepper
  • 2tbsp Madeira
  • 150l white wine

Béarnaise sauce

  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 30g shallots – chopped
  • 10 peppercorns
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 250g clarified butter
  • Salt
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 4 tbsp tarragon – chopped

Method

Rub butter into flour

Add salt, water & lemon juice

Incorporate to make pastry

Rest for 20mins

Line individual tart cases & blind bake

Duxelles

Sweat shallots in butter

Add mushrooms & liquids

Simmer until liquid reduced (about 20mins)

Season

Béarnaise

Reduce vinegar, shallots & peppercorns by 2/3

Whisk eggs & reduction over a bain marie until forming ribbons

Take off heat & slowly whisk in clarified butter until fully incorporated

Season

Add chopped tarragon

Poach 12 quail’s eggs in water with a splash of vinegar

Assembly

Fill tart case with mushroom filling & warm through in the oven for 2mins

Put 3 quails eggs on each tart & top with Bearnaise sauce

Serve with a green salad