Fig, Thyme and Goat's Cheese Galette

DIFFICULTY
Average Average
PREP TIME
Under 30 Min. Under 30 Min.
COOK TIME
Under 1 Hr. Under 1 Hr.
SERVES
4-6 4-6
Anna Jones
Fig, Thyme and Goat's Cheese Galette
“This galette, with a hazelnut pastry and a filling of capers and herby goat’s cheese, has become a regular at home for when I have a bag full of purple and jammy figs. I make this pretty tart with a couple of substantial salads for a summer lunch for six; it would serve four with just a side salad. Roasting the figs will bring out their jammy nature, so you can get away with using them slightly under- or overripe here.” – Anna Jones
Main INGREDIENTS
  • Dairy
Ingredients
Method

Ingredients

FOR THE PASTRY
  • 25g hazelnuts
  • 225g white spelt flour or plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 125g very cold unsalted butter or vegan unsalted butter, cubed
FOR THE FILLING
  • 300g soft goat’s cheese or vegan soft cheese
  • 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
  • A small bunch of thyme or oregano, leaves picked
  • 3 tablespoons capers
  • A small bunch of parsley, leaves and stalks roughly chopped
  • The juice and zest of ½ unwaxed lemon
  • Unsalted butter or vegan butter, to grease
  • 8 figs, sliced
  • 1 organic egg, beaten, or a splash of plant milk
  • 50g hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
TO SERVE
  • Lemon-dressed salad leaves

  • Method

  • 1
    Oven temperature, 220°C/220°C fan/425°F/gas 6.
  • 2
    First, make the pastry. Put the hazelnuts into a food processor and blitz until you have fine crumbs; be careful not to overdo it, as they will turn into a nut butter.
  • 3
    Add the flour and half a teaspoon of flaky sea salt, then pulse a few times so everything is evenly mixed.
  • 4
    Now add the butter and pulse again until it looks like breadcrumbs.
  • 5
    Then, with the motor running, add 2–3 tablespoons of ice-cold water one tablespoon at a time until it comes together to form a ball of dough.
  • 6
    Remove the dough from the processor, flatten into a rough disc, then wrap in a clean tea towel or baking paper and place in the fridge to chill for half an hour.
  • 7
    Preheat the oven to 220°C/220°C fan/gas 6.
  • 8
    Using the same food processor, add the goat’s cheese, honey, the leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme or oregano, capers, parsley, lemon juice and zest. Season with some black pepper and blitz for a few seconds until creamy and flecked with herbs and capers.
  • 9
    Grease your Le Creuset 28cm Fluted Flan Dish with a little butter or vegan butter.
  • 10
    Once the pastry has chilled, remove from the fridge and roll out the pastry onto a floured surface to about 30cm round and 1cm thick, turning it as you roll to make sure it stays circular. Roll it up onto the rolling pin and carefully transfer to the fluted flan dish, allowing any excess pastry to hang over the edge.
  • 11
    Spread the goat’s cheese mixture onto the base of the pastry. Top with the figs, being generous as they’ll shrink in the oven slightly.
  • 12
    Next, fold the edges of the pastry over the figs to hold them in, brush the edges with the beaten egg or plant milk, then season all over with salt and pepper.
  • 13
    Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes until golden, scattering over the 50g of chopped hazelnuts for the last 5 minutes to toast.
  • 14
    Cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes, then top with the remaining thyme or oregano leaves.
  • 15
    Serve with lemon-dressed leaves.