Description
These Oyster Tarts with Creamy Sauce feature tender rock oysters poached in their own juice, wild mushrooms sautéed to golden perfection, and a rich, buttery sauce enhanced with white wine and vinegar. Nestled in flaky all-butter puff pastry shells, then briefly grilled to achieve a golden top, these elegant tarts make a perfect sophisticated starter or light main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry
- 150g all-butter puff pastry
- 75g unsalted butter, cut into chunks
Filling
- 80g wild mushrooms (girolles)
- 8-10 rock oysters
- 100ml dry white wine
- 1 banana shallot, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons double cream
- Lemon juice, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 200°C (fan 180°C, gas mark 6) to prepare for baking the pastry shells.
- Prepare pastry: Roll out the puff pastry to 2mm thickness. Line two circular tart tins (10cm diameter, 2.5cm deep) with the pastry, pricking the base lightly to prevent rising. Chill the tart shells in the freezer for 5 minutes or in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up.
- Bake tart shells: Line the chilled pastry cases with foil or baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice for blind baking. Bake for 20-25 minutes, then remove the weights and liner, and bake for another 5 minutes until golden and crisp. Trim any overhang and prick blistered areas. Set aside to cool.
- Sauté mushrooms: Heat a knob of butter in a pan over high heat. Add the wild mushrooms, tossing frequently until they turn golden and all moisture evaporates. Season lightly with salt and remove from heat.
- Prepare oysters: Shuck the oysters carefully, reserving their juice. Pat the oysters dry with kitchen paper. Strain the oyster juice through a sieve lined with muslin to remove any grit.
- Make sauce base: In the same pan used for mushrooms, add the white wine, chopped shallot, and white wine vinegar. Simmer the mixture until it reduces down to about 1 tablespoon. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Poach oysters: Gently poach the oysters in the reserved oyster juice over low heat for 3-4 minutes until just cooked. Remove the oysters and strain the liquid again through muslin.
- Finish sauce: Return the strained oyster liquid to the pan and boil until it reduces to 1 tablespoon. Gradually whisk in the chilled butter cubes to create a smooth, rich sauce. Add double cream and adjust consistency with a splash of cold water or lemon juice if needed.
- Assemble tarts: Divide the sautéed mushrooms, poached oysters, and some leftover shallot evenly among the pastry cases. Spoon the creamy sauce over the fillings.
- Grill tarts: Place the assembled tarts under a grill for a few minutes until the tops are golden and bubbling.
- Serve: Present the oyster tarts warm, accompanied by bitter salad leaves dressed with a sharp vinaigrette for contrast.
Notes
- Ensure oysters are fresh and kept chilled until ready to use for best flavor and safety.
- Using muslin to strain oyster juice removes grit and imparts a silky texture to the sauce.
- If wild mushrooms are unavailable, substitute with a mix of cremini and button mushrooms for a similar effect.
- Blind baking the pastry shells prevents sogginess when adding the wet fillings.
- You can adjust the lemon juice in the sauce to balance richness with acidity.
