Pear, Ginger, Dark Chocolate & Hazelnut Galette

I often create recipes based on my latest farm-shop haul, plucking what's in season and looks good from the shelves, then creating meals around a key ingredient. In this case, I've chosen the Williams pear – also known as Bartlett, for my American friends.

The flavour combinations in this galette are a match made in heaven, complementing each other perfectly. Sweet juicy pear, bitter rich dark chocolate, sweet, sticky jewels of fiery stem ginger, all enveloped in flaky pastry and finished with crunchy toasted hazelnuts. It's so good, I'm craving a slice even as I write this!

It's simple to make, but if you're a complete beginner in the kitchen then a shop-bought pastry would be perfectly acceptable – just be sure to buy a vegan variety. If you have a good gluten-free short crust pastry recipe, feel free to use that instead, or swap the flour I use here for a gluten-free flour blend.

SERVES:
06-08

Ingredients
Instructions

Ingredients

For the pastry

225g plain flour

2 tbsp caster sugar

Pinch of salt

120g plant-based butter, cubed

2-3 tbsp oat milk

For the filling

5 pears, cored and thickly sliced lengthways

3 balls stem ginger, diced

2-3 tbsp stem ginger syrup

100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

½ cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped

To serve

Vegan ice cream, cream, crème fraîche or custard.

Instructions

Start by making the pastry. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the plant butter and rub it into the flour with your palms facing upwards, rubbing the mixture from your little finger to your thumb, until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add a tablespoon of the oat milk and combine using a knife. You should be able to bring the pastry together in a ball, but if it's still a little dry, add a splash more milk.
Quickly bring the dough together and form it into a rough disc – the less you handle the pastry, the better. Wrap in cling film and allow to rest and chill in the fridge for 30 mins.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/Gas 4. Place the sliced pear, stem ginger, syrup, and half the chocolate in a large bowl, and stir gently to combine.
Remove the chilled dough from the fridge, and tip it onto a large square of baking paper. Place another square on top, and roll out the dough to form a rough round, about 5mm thick.
Slide the pastry onto a baking tray – round pizza trays work well. Pile the pear mixture into the middle of the pastry, and carefully fold up the sides using the baking paper to help you, folding up the paper, then peeling it back.
Scatter over the remaining dark chocolate chunks, then gently press the chopped hazelnuts around the rim of the pastry and the edge of the pears. Alternatively, just sprinkle them all over.
Bake for about 30-40 mins, giving it a turn every now and then. When the galette is ready, the pastry should be golden, the chocolate melted, the hazelnuts toasted, and the pears soft and juicy.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 mins before serving with your topping of choice.