Cravings: Mushroom & Leek Torte

Did you ever crave something so badly that you can taste it?

Most people crave chocolate or potato chips.
I had a serious craving for mushrooms.

Maybe because I rarely use them in a recipe, since my husband detests them.
What a pity.

If you love mushrooms, then this recipe is a must. It is a torte, and has no real crust except for a coating of parmesan cheese (please use the good stuff).
You can use any mixture of mushrooms, wild, criminis, shitake, or just plain old button shrooms.

I added leeks to the recipe and a splash of balsamic vinegar to the hot pan.
The results were fantastic.



Mushroom & Leek Torte: (inspired from Living and Eating Cookbook)

16oz. package wild mushroom mix, sliced
2 large leeks (or 4 small ones), washed & trimmed, saving only the white parts, sliced thin
3 large eggs, beaten
2 cups of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp butter
olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Brush an 8" springform pan with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter to grease.
Sprinkle the greased pan with a dusting of parmesan cheese to coat.
This will be your crust!

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of butter with some olive oil and on medium-high heat, cook the leeks and mushrooms until they start to caramelize, about 8-10 minutes.
At the very end of cooking, splash with the balsamic vinegar.



In a food processor, pulse half of the cooked leek and mushroom mixture until it becomes a paste consistency.

Combine the mushroom puree with the remaining solid mushroom leek mixture from the skillet into a large bowl.

Add 2 cups of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, the parsley, beaten eggs and heavy cream to the mushroom mixture and combine. Season with salt & pepper.

Pour into the prepared springform pan and bake on a baking sheet for 35-40 minutes until golden.



Let cool about 15 minutes, then remove the outer ring and slice.
Serve with a nice arugula salad w/ a lemon vinaigrette.



My craving has been satisfied!
This was really lovely.