Instructions: *Six 10mm deep fluted quiche tins with a base liameter of 75mm and a top diameter of 90mm greased with a little melted butter

Place the fresh and soaked mushrooms and shallots in a food processor till finely chopped.

Melt the butter in a medium sized pan over a high heat add the mushroom mixture nutmeg and seasoning reduce the heat and gently saute for 20 to 25 minutes until all the juices have evapourated.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the pastry to 3mm thick and cut out six rounds with the cutter re rolling the pastry if necessary.

Line each tin with the pastry pushing it down from the tops so the pastry doesnt shrink during cooking.

Trim the pastry around the tops to 5mm and prick the bases with a fork then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/400F/200C. Place the tins on the baking sheet and bake them on the top shelf of the oven for 15 minutes. (All this can be done well in advance. The mushroom mixture should be cooled then covered and stored in the fridge and the pastry cases carefully removed from their tins and stored in an airtight container. The foaming hollandaise can also be made in advance and kept at room temperature.)

In a mediumsized frying pan half filled with boiling water from the kettle you can begin to poach the eggs.

Place the pan over a gentle heat and have a bowl of cold water ready.

As soon as the pan has fine bubbles all over the base make a slit in 6 quails eggs with a small serrated knife carefully slipping the eggs in to poach.

Put a timer on for 1 1/2 minutes then after this time and using a draining spoon remove them starting with the first one that went in. Transfer them to the bowl of cold water then repeat the whole process twice until all the eggs are poached.

With everything ready the mushroom filling the tartlet cases hollandaise and the poached eggs you can now assemble the tartlets.

When you are ready to serve the tartlets preheat the grill to its highest setting.

Place the tartlet cases on a baking sheet cover with foil and pop them under the grill 15cm from the heat to warm through for 5 minutes.

While this is happening reheat the mushroom mixture in a small saucepan and get it really hot.

Fill the pastry cases with the mushroom mixture and top each one with 3 quails eggs using a draining spoon and a wodge of kitchen paper to drain off any water.

Spoon the foaming hollandaise over then pop the whole lot back under the grill again at least 15cm from the heat and watch like a hawk it should take only 30 seconds for the sauce to warm through and brown slightly. Then switch the grill off and serve on warm plates as quickly as possible.

This a my version of one of the most brilliant first courses Ive ever eaten. It was created by Michel Bourdin head chef at Londons prestigious Connaught Hotel. His version has boiled quails eggs but I cant bear the fiddle of peeling them so I now poach them which cuts out a great deal of time and work. I also have Michels approval as he told me that he originally did them like this. Its still not the swiftest easiest course but when you want something really special for a celebration this is it.

Serves 6

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