Easy Corn and Shiitake Crinkle Tart (phyllo dough)

This Easy Corn and Shiitake Crinkle Tart using phyllo dough makes it simple and accessible when you feel like serving something special but don’t want anything overly complicated. It’s equally good for a light summer dinner, a special lunch or a brunch with your loved ones.

Have you heard of a crinkle tart? It’s this fun method of crinkling up phyllo dough like an accordion and placing all of the accordions, snuggled tightly, together in a pan of your choice. The beauty? It removes a lot of the typical frustration of working with phyllo.

I like this because it’s faster than buttering sheet after sheet of phyllo dough and layering them.

Instead, in this tart, 2 sheets of phyllo are used at a time and only the top one gets brushed with butter. It is then layered with a delicious filling of sweet corn, mushrooms and shallots, and then it’s smooshed together in an accordion and placed in the pan. This gets repeated over and over until the pan is full.

To top it all off, a delicious herby custard is poured over and then the oven works its magic! I hope you try it!

Interested in another light and fun tart made with phyllo dough? Check out this Asparagus and Leek Tart!

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this amazing corn and shiitake tart:

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

The ingredients to make this corn and shiitake tart are easy to find and readily available at most any grocery store. If you’re able, I would highly recommend grabbing the sweet corn at your local farm stand or farmer’s market for maximum flavor.

Here are a few ingredient notes:

Sweet corn: Run to your local farm stand or farmer’s market and grab 4 ears. There is absolutely no substitute for this (frozen? nope! canned? nope!)! Enjoy this fresh delicacy as much as you can while it’s here!

Shiitake mushrooms: The other star of this tart, these mushrooms have such fantastic flavor and texture. Seek out fresh ones and feel free to use them exclusively in this dish.

Oyster mushrooms: I used oyster mushrooms in this tart because they were gorgeous when I came across them. Oftentimes, I use shiitake mushrooms exclusively, but sometimes I vary it, based on what looks good at the time.

Phyllo dough: Found in the freezer section of any grocery store, you can use any brand that you like. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, and remember to keep it covered with a damp towel while you work with it so that it doesn’t dry out.

Shallots: The subtle flavor of shallots work well in this recipe, but you can certainly substitute a yellow onion or even scallions, if you like. The equivalent of 1 cup is about right.

Chives: Playing a supporting role, chives are the perfect complement to the corn and mushrooms in this summer tart – subtle but flavorful. I always reserve a few to sprinkle on top before serving.

Dijon mustard: There is not enough Dijon in this custard that you can call it out, but it adds really nice background flavor.

Sour cream: Adding just a touch of tang to the custard, sour cream is the other ingredient providing background flavor. Creme fraiche would be a great substitute. If you choose not to use either, that is fine, too.

Let’s Make This Easy Corn and Shiitake Crinkle Tart Together: STEP BY STEP

Steps 1 & 2:

The first step in making this tart is to prep the mushrooms. For the shiitake mushrooms, tart by removing the stems and then slicing the caps. You will also remove the lower stems of the oyster mushrooms, but rather than slice the top parts, you can actually gently pull them apart.

Next, cut the kernels of the corn from the cobs.

Steps 3 & 4:

After the mushrooms, dice the shallots and finely chop the chives. Set all of this aside.

Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and let them sit, undisturbed, for a few minutes. Then, stir them around and let them cook and release their liquid.

Steps 5 & 6:

Next, you will add the shallots and let them soften and season with salt and pepper.

When the shallots are translucent, add the corn and saute for only one minute. Remove and let cool.

Steps 7 & 8:

While the corn mixture is cooling, put together the custard by whisking the eggs, sour cream, Dijon mustard, milk, heavy cream, chives, salt and pepper until really well combined. Set aside.

Begin assembling the tart by first brushing the bottom of the pan with butter. Next, grab 2 sheets of phyllo and brush the top one with butter. Add about 3 tablespoons of filling and carefully spread it out.

Steps 9 & 10:

Then, gently push both ends together in an accordion and transfer it to the baking pan or dish. Repeat this process until the pan is full.

Finally, add the custard on top and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes until the filling is set.

Storage & Reheating

STORAGE: It is best to store the tart in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. If you have a lot left over, you can also cover your baking dish with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.

REHEATING: For the best results, it is recommended to reheat pieces of the tart in the oven or a toaster oven. You can use a microwave, but the phyllo dough will never crisp up.

FREEZING: You can actually freeze the cooked tart. However, I will caution you that the texture will not be the same after thawing and reheating, albeit still delicious.

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