Tomato & ricotta galette
With olive, anchovy & basil salsa
1 hr 20 mins
Not Too Tricky
serves 8
About the recipe
This is the ultimate expression of ripe, juicy, sweet tomatoes and evokes that gorgeous greenhouse smell of tomatoes growing, which brings back memories of running through my grandad’s greenhouse as a kid. Galettes are very forgiving as you don’t need to muck around with tins or moulds – just fold the pastry over your filling and you’re good to go.
Ingredients
600g ripe mixed tomatoes
½ a fresh red chilli
½ a fresh yellow chilli
red wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
½ a bunch of fresh basil (15g)
500g quality ricotta cheese, such as Westcombe
1 lemon
50g Parmesan cheese
2 large free-range eggs
40g couscous
mixed seasonal salad leaves, to serve
OLIVE SALSA
100g mixed olives, stone in
1 x 50g tin of anchovies in oil, from sustainable sources
½ a bunch of fresh basil (15g)
PASTRY
400g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
a few sprigs of fresh herbs, like fresh, flowering thyme or oregano
200g unsalted butter (cold)
2 large free-range eggs
30g Parmesan cheese
milk
Top Tip
I’ve used good-quality ricotta here, which has a firmer consistency and contains less moisture than most shop-bought versions. If you can’t find it in cheese shops or delis, use regular ricotta – your galette will look a little less neat, but it’ll still taste great.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
- Slice the tomatoes into 1cm rounds, halving any cherry tomatoes, finely slice the chillies, then add both to a large bowl with 1 tablespoon each of red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Season well with sea salt and black pepper, pick in the basil leaves, toss well, then leave to macerate for 10 minutes.
- To make the pastry, place the flour and a good pinch of salt into a bowl. Finely chop and add the herbs, cube and rub in the butter with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Crack in 1 egg, finely grate in 30g Parmesan, mix together, then add 1 tablespoon of milk, bringing it together into a rough dough, adding a little more milk, if needed. Lightly knead on a flour-dusted surface – be careful not to overwork it or it will become elastic and chewy, not crumbly and short. Wrap well and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Break up half of the ricotta with the back of a fork. Season lightly with salt and a little lemon zest, then finely grate in 50g Parmesan. Crack in the eggs and mix it all together – keep it rustic, it doesn’t have to be super smooth. Break over the remaining ricotta in chunks, and gently stir through so it retains its texture.
- On a large sheet of greaseproof paper, roll out the pastry into a circle, to just under 1cm thick and 35cm in diameter – it doesn't have to be a perfect circle and if it cracks, it doesn't matter, tear off a little pastry from the edge to plug any gaps.
- Spoon the ricotta mixture into the middle, then use a fork to spread it out to the edge, leaving a 5cm border. Scatter over the dried couscous (this will absorb any moisture from the tomatoes), then arrange the macerated tomatoes and basil on top, reserving the dressing.
- Using the greaseproof paper to help you, fold and gently press the loose pastry over the filling, to create your galette. Beat and brush the edges with the remaining egg.
- Slide the greaseproof paper, with the galette on top, onto a baking tray, then bake at the bottom of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden, delicious and crisp underneath, brushing over any remaining eggwash halfway through.
- Squash the olives and remove the stones, then tear into the reserved tomato dressing. Pour in the oil from the anchovy tin, followed by the whole anchovies. Toss together, spoon the mixture onto a board with the basil leaves (leaving the rest of the dressing behind), then finely chop. Place the salsa into a clean bowl with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
- Toss the salad leaves in the remaining tomato dressing, then serve with the galette and olive salsa.
The olive and anchovy salsa will go beautifully with a pork chop or roast chicken thighs.
Macerating tomatoes in sea salt and vinegar will help to pull out their excess moisture for a more concentrated flavour. Use that liquid to make epic salad dressings.
