Caramelised Onion, Goat Cheese and Fig Galette

Summer English programme starts tomorrow, which means full days of teaching, and 6-day work weeks for the next month. I will also be starting the next 8-week challenge in another week, so will be busy with food-prep next weekend.

Anyway, this past week has been pretty bad in terms of my sweet tooth. It’s scary how quickly it comes back, the sweet tooth. But I am determined that I will get control back over it as of today. I’m trying to distract from the sugar with tea, coffee and water. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Either way, I will get a grip on it at some point.

However, moving on to today’s recipe. I decided a long time ago that I wanted to make this galette, as it caught my eye weeks ago.

I uses a recipe from Vanilla and Bean, and I have to say it is a winner in our household. I’ve already been told that I need to make it again – although my housemates will be having the second one in a short while for dinner. It took some time make, but otherwise, it was extremely straight forward. Next week, we may make mini ones, see how they go.

So, here’s the recipe!

Caramelised Onion, Goat Cheese and Fig Galette

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

113 grams unsalted butter, cut into 0.6cm cubes
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
126g plan flour
78g white whole wheat flour

For the filling:

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
690 grams brown onions, sliced into thin strips
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1.8 teaspoon granulated sugar
222 grams figs, cut half into discs and half into eighths
6 tablespoons of goat cheese, at room temperature
1 egg + 1 tablespoon of water, whisked
1 sprig of fresh thyme

To finish:

balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
fresh thyme for garnish

Instructions

Cut the butter into cubes, then place in freezer for 5 minutes.
Whisk the milk, salt and apple cider vinegar together. Set aside for 5 minutes to sour.
Mix the all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour together in a large bowl. Add the cubes of butter, and combine using a pastry cutter or a fork until the butter pieces are the size of almonds.
Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the milk mixture. Use your hands to mix it all together until it starts to come together.
On a lightly floured surface, push the dough into a rectangular mixture. Keep gathering and folding the dough over itself 9 or 10 times, until it holds together.
Divide the dough in half, shape each one into a circular mass. Flatten the pastry out to about 0.5 cm thick, making sure it is rounded. Wrap it securely in cling film and place in the fridge for a minimum of one hour.
In a large, non-stick pan, melt the olive oil and butter together. When just melted, add the onions, salt and sugar and cook on a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pastry from the fridge, and roll each one into a circle about 20 cm in diameter. Wrap in cling film, and pop in back in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 205C.
On a piece of baking paper, place one pastry round. Spread goats cheese along the centre of the pastry, leaving a 2 cm edge.
Arrange half of the caramelised onions over the cheese, and then place the disc-shaped figs around the edge, overlapping where necessary. Sprinkle with a few thyme leaves.
Fold the edges of the pastry over the filling, overlapping as needed, leaving the centre open. Arrange half of the figs that were eighth-ed in the centre of the galette.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes before baking. Assemble the second pastry in the same way.
Egg wash the tops of the pastries.
Bake on a baking paper lined sheet pan for 30 – 35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
Before serving, drizzle balsamic vinegar and some thyme over the galette.