This one’s stretching the rules a bit again. Galettes have become quite trendy and I’ve only started making them recently. A galette is a single crust, free-form pie, which can be sweet or savoury – this eye-catching vegetarian one comes from Ottolenghi’s Flavour, published in 2020. We’ve eaten it twice and although the list of ingredients is long and it’s quite a faff to make (sorry, Ottolenghi), it gets wolfed down in minutes.
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the pastry
100g plain flour
30g wholemeal flour
20g polenta
1½ tsp caster sugar
¾ tsp flaky salt
1 tbsp sage leaves, finely chopped (about 6 leaves)
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
20ml olive oil
80g unsalted butter, fridge-cold and cut into 1½cm cubes
60ml ice-cold water
For the filling
1 small butternut squash, skin on, deseeded and cut into 1 cm-thick, skin-on half-moons (600g)
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1cm rounds
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to finish
2 tbsp finely chopped sage leaves, plus 3 whole, to garnish
2 tsp caraway seeds, toasted and crushed
Flaky salt and black pepper
1 head garlic, top fifth cut off to expose the bulbs
1 banana shallot, skin on, top trimmed to expose the flesh
2-3 oranges, zest finely grated, to get 1½ tsp, then juice to get 160ml
50ml maple syrup
125g mascarpone
1 small egg, beaten
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 240C (220C fan).
For the pastry, mix the first eight ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the butter and incorporate into the flour, squashing each cube between your fingers – don’t over-work it, though: you want chunks throughout the dough. Add the water, stir to combine, then use your hands to gather the dough together – it will be quite sticky.
Transfer to a very well-floured work surface and roll into a 28cm x 18cm rectangle, flouring the rolling pin, surface and pastry as you go. Fold the longer ends in towards each other, so they meet in the middle, then roll out once. Now fold in the shorter ends to meet in the middle, roll out once more, then fold in half, so you end up with a square. Use your hands to stretch the dough into a 14cm circle, then wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
While the dough is chilling, toss the squash and carrots in the oil, a tablespoon of chopped sage, the caraway, a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Spread out on two large oven trays lined with baking paper; don’t worry if there is some overlap. Drizzle the garlic and shallot with a little oil, wrap both separately in foil, and add to the trays.
Roast the butternut and carrots for 25 minutes, or until golden brown, then remove from the oven. Leave the garlic and shallot to roast for 15 minutes more, then remove and, once cool enough to handle, squeeze out the flesh and finely chop.
Turn down the oven to 220C (200C fan). Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface and roll out into a 30cm circle, dusting the rolling pin as you go. Gently lift the dough onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
Put the orange juice and maple syrup in a medium saucepan on a medium-high heat and cook for about 10 minutes, or until it reduces to the consistency of a thick, sticky syrup.
In a small bowl, mix the mascarpone with the chopped roast garlic and shallot, the orange zest and remaining chopped sage. Season with a pinch of salt and plenty of pepper, and stir again to combine.
Spread the mascarpone mixture over the dough, leaving a 4cm border around the edge. Cover the mascarpone with the squash and carrot, then drizzle over the orange caramel.
Fold the edges of the pastry up and over the filling, brush the exposed pastry with the egg, then bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Leave to cool for 20 minutes, then serve with the remaining sage leaves and serve.
Years of Practice 