Preheat oven to 200°C.
Heat 50g butter in a pan until hot and bubbling. Toss in mushrooms and garlic and cook on medium heat for 8 minutes or until golden in colour. Add cream and mix well. Remove from heat, add thyme, season with salt and pepper and set aside until ready to use.
Using a pastry cutter, or something like a plastic lid or small plate, cut 4 x 10cm rounds from the pastry; keep pastry rounds in fridge until ready to cook. Unless you have more than one small frying pan, you’ll need to make the tarts one at a time.
Sprinkle 1 Tbsp caster sugar in a small ovenproof frying pan. Place over medium heat and when sugar starts to melt and change colour, add a small knob of butter. Remove from heat, swirl to combine (do not stir), then add 5 shallot bulblets and a squeeze of lemon juice. Cover with a pastry round, tucking edges of pastry into side of pan with a spoon. Prick pastry with a fork then transfer to oven to cook for 12 minutes, until golden and risen. Carefully transfer tart to a baking tray. Repeat to make 3 more tarts. Cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until required.
When ready to serve, reheat tarts in a preheated 200°C oven for 4-5 minutes or until hot. At the same time, warm the mushroom mixture in a pan.
To serve, place each tart on a plate, top with warmed mushrooms and some sliced smoked chicken. Sprinkle with thyme and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Cook's tip
Prepare the mushrooms and tarts earlier in the day, then simply reheat before serving.
Article from the May, 2012 issue of Taste magazine.
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