Category: Savoury Pastry

This galette has a roasted squash filling with bacon, garlic and thyme. A perfect warming dish for a chilly Sunday. I used an onion squash and a harlequin squash when making this galette to see how they taste. We agreed they tasted just like regular butternut squash but the slightly different colours did make the galette look more appealing!

For the pastry

• 325g plain flour
• 150g unsalted butter (cubed)
• 1 tsp salt

To make the pastry, rub together the butter, salt and flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Then add cold water a teaspoon at a time. After adding each teaspoon of water, mix in well using a fork, until the mixture comes together, then bring together in to a smooth ball with your hands. I used about 6 teaspoons of water, but you may need more or less depending on your flour.

Wrap in cling film and chill for at least an hour.

For the filling

• 1 tbsp olive oil (I used a truffle infused oil)
• 1-2 small squashes
• 4 slices of bacon
• 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• small bunch of thyme leaves
• 1 egg, beaten

Whilst the pastry is chilling, prepare the filling.

Peel the squash and remove the seeds. Chop into cubes (around 1 inch). Coat the squash with oil by popping the cubes in a freezer bag with the oil and some salt and pepper. Then shake the bag so the squash are thoroughly coated. Pour on to a baking tray and pop in a preheated oven (190°C) for about 40 minutes. Leave to one side until ready to prepare the galette.

Meanwhile, cut the bacon into strips and fry until just cooked (it will crisp up in the oven so no need to cook it too much at this point). Remove from the pan and leave to one side. Keeping the grease in the pan, fry the garlic for a couple of minutes then leave with the bacon.

To make the galette, roll out the chilled pastry, keeping the shape as circular as possible. When it is about 0.5cm thick, lay on a piece of baking paper on a tray. Mix together the bacon, garlic and squash and place on the pastry keeping a couple of inches from the edge. Scatter the filling with thyme leaves.

Use a knife to cut the pastry about 10-12 times from the filling to the edge. Then take each section of pastry and fold up on to the filling. Brush the pastry with egg wash, then fold up the next piece and so on until all the pastry has been folded up.

Give the pastry one more brush with egg wash, then place in a preheated oven (190°C) for 30-40 minutes until the pastry is golden. This is best served hot from the oven. All the components can be made in advance and put together just before serving.

For my previous post, I wrote a step by step guide on how to make puff pastry. This resulted in me having a large block of pastry to use, which I am more than happy to do.

This tart has red and yellow peppers, red onion, smoked garlic, mozzarella, green pesto and fresh basil leaves. It’s very easy to put together, the time consuming part is making the puff pastry, so if you are pushed for time, you can always buy ready made pastry.

Pepper and Red Onion Puff Pastry Tart

• 1 quantity of puff pastry. For my “how to” guide to making puff pastry, click here or alternatively buy a pack of ready made pastry, approximately 375g
• 2 peppers (sliced)
• 1 red onion (sliced)
• 2 cloves of smoked garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 mozzarella ball
• green pesto
• a bunch of fresh basil leaves
• 1 egg

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and add the onion. Fry until they colour slightly and are soft. Add the garlic and fry for a couple more minutes. Leave the onion and garlic to cool in a bowl.

Add a little more oil to the frying pan and fry the peppers until softened. Once cooked, remove from the pan and leave to cool.

 

  

  

These are based on pastry twists called “Sacristains” we made at patisserie school. In French Patisseries, there can be a lot of left over puff pastry trimmings after making a particular dessert. If you have ever made puff pastry from scratch you will understand why they wouldn’t want to throw the trimmings away! Instead they layer the trimmings on top of each other and roll them out. The layers won’t be as precise as when first made, which makes them perfect for making Sacristains. At school we made sweet Sacristains with cinnamon and almonds, but you can really put whatever you like in them – bacon and cheese is a very good choice though!

Bacon & Cheese Twists

• 1 pack of ready made puff pastry (about 375g)
• I pack of streaky bacon
• 65g mature cheddar cheese
• 35g parmesan cheese
• a good pinch of English mustard powder
• 1 egg

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grate both of the cheeses and mix together in a bowl. Roll out the pastry to a thin rectangle the width of a pound coin. Beat the egg lightly and brush a thin layer over the pastry. Spread out the cheese evenly over the top of the pastry. Press the cheese in to the pastry gently using the rolling pin. Sprinkle the mustard powder over the top.

Split each rasher of bacon in two lengthways (the bacon I had separated naturally down the middle but use a sharp knife if it’s not playing). Lay each piece of bacon along the pastry with a small gap in between each slice.

Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry in between each piece of bacon. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Pick up a slice of pastry and twist it round a couple of times, then place on the baking tray. Repeat this with the rest of the pastry. Leave a gap in between each twist on the baking tray as they will puff up – you may need 2 baking trays.

Brush a thin layer of egg wash on to the exposed pastry on the twists. Then pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes. These are best when they are still warm from the oven but can be eaten cold as well.