Chef's Table Recipe: Mushroom Crumble

Dec 1, 2008 — -- James Beard House featured chef Craig Hopson created this delicious crumble that's perfect for a brunch or to serve as a hearty winter appetizer. The result yields a flaky crust and a warm and tangy filling with enough cheesy crumbles to go around.

Makes 4 individual or one 9-inch crumble

INGREDIENTS:

For Mushroom–Parmesan Pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cubed

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons mushroom powder

1 teaspoon salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

¼ cup cold water

Mushroom Filling

2 tablespoons of butter

12 ounces mixed mushrooms (such as shiitake, chanterelle, or portobello), chopped

2 whole shallots, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup white wine

¼ cup heavy cream

Topping

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cubed

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon salt

To make the pastry, combine the flour, butter, cheese, mushroom powder, salt, and cayenne pepper in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix for 5 minutes. Add the cold water and continue mixing until the dough forms a ball. Remove from the mixer, form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

To make the filling, heat the butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, shallot, garlic, salt and sauté the mushrooms until all of the excess liquid is gone, about 10 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until the wine has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the cream and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

To make the topping, combine the flour, butter, cheese, and salt into a bowl and refrigerate for several minutes so that all ingredients are cold. Remove from refrigerator and rub mixture with your fingers to form a crumble.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the pastry dough from the refrigerator and using a rolling pin, roll to 1/8-inch thickness. For individual crumbles, cut into 5-inch circles and line 3-inch metal tart shells. For a 9-inch crumble, line a deep-dish pie plate with the rolled dough and flute the sides about 1-inch high around. Fill with the mushroom mixture and generously top with the crumble mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes for individual crumbles and 25 minutes for a 9-inch crumble.

To serve, remove ring molds from individual crumbles, or cut the 9-inch crumble into slices.

Chef's Tip:

Mushroom powder can be found at most gourmet markets.

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