The humble apple is perhaps the most versatile fruit of all. From glass to plate, its culinary possibilities as exciting as they are wide ranging. Why not try this delicate galette where the apple’s natural sweetness is complemented with earthy celeriac, sweet onions and nutty gruyere. Served alongside a chilled glass of Showerings, it is the perfect lunchtime dish.
Ingredients: Serves 6-8
Yields one 25cm round galette
For the pastry:
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 80-85ml ice water
- 170g plain flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 125g very cold, unsalted butter, cut into 2cm cubes
For the filling:
- 3 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 small celeriac, peeled and sliced into 1 mm thick slices (ideally on a mandoline)
- 1 large honeycrisp, mutsu, or pink lady apple, thinly sliced into roughly 2mm thick slices (ideally on a mandoline)
- 90g gruyere, grated
- Pepper, to taste
- 1 egg, whisked
- Handful of parsley, to serve
Instructions:
For the pastry:
1. Add the apple cider vinegar to the ice water and place in the fridge.
2. Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium-sized bowl, then add the cubed butter. Working quickly, coat all of the butter pieces in flour, then use your forefinger and thumb to press each one into a flat sheet: these thin pieces of butter will give the crust its characteristic flakiness. If at any point the butter seems warm or soft, place the bowl in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, then continue working.
3. Once all of the butter has been flattened, pour about 3/4 of the icy water mixture over the flour mixture. Use a spoon to stir the water into the flour until just combined and shaggy. If the dough seems dry, add more cold water one tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together when squeezed. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and bring all of the dry bits together, kneading once or twice and pressing it together with your hands to shape the dough into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap or beeswax wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days).
For the filling:
1. Make the caramelised onions: Add the olive oil to a skillet or pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the sliced onions along with a good pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onions are deeply brown, about 20 minutes. If they begin to stick, add a splash of water and reduce the heat. Once they are ready, set them aside to cool (or place in the refrigerator to speed this up).
2. Roll out your pastry: Preheat your oven to 220°C, line a large baking tray with parchment paper, and dust a work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Unwrap your pastry and place it onto the floured surface, then, using your rolling pin and starting from the centre, press down firmly while rolling towards the edge. Continue rolling, moving the pastry often and flipping it over to ensure that it isn't sticking, until the dough is a roughly 1/2cm thick and 30cm wide circle.
3. Assemble the galette: Fold the dough in half, then carefully lift it and place on your prepared baking tray. Unfold the dough (it might hang over the edges of the tray slightly, this is ok), and spread the dijon mustard directly on the dough right up to the edges. Top with the caramelised onions, followed by the grated gruyere, ensuring that both are evenly distributed across the surface of the dough.
4. Arrange the apple and celeriac slices evenly over the cheese, shingling them slightly and leaving a 3cm border around the edge. Brush them lightly with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper before folding the dough up and over the apple and celeriac to create a 2-3cm thick crust, ensuring that there are no gaps around the edges.
5. Use a pastry brush to brush the crust evenly with your whisked egg, then place the galette in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the base and crust of your pastry is golden brown and the apple and celeriac have caramelised nicely.
6. Allow your galette to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving garnished with parsley.
