Butternut Squash, Caramelised Onion & Cheddar Galette

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pastry: put plain flour and a pinch of sea salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the cold, cubed unsalted butter and rub between your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Sprinkle in the cold water a little at a time and bring together with a light, quick action — do not overwork. Form into a flat disc, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Toss the butternut squash cubes with 30 ml olive oil, runny honey, a good pinch of sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper on a baking tray so they sit in a single layer.

3. 3

   Roast the squash on the top shelf for 25 minutes, turning once halfway, until edges are golden and sticky.

4. 4

   While the squash roasts, heat the remaining 30 ml olive oil in a frying pan over a medium–low heat. Add the thinly sliced brown onion and the brown sugar, season with a pinch of sea salt and cook slowly for 18–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply golden and sticky.

5. 5

   Prepare the filling: when the squash is roasted, reserve about one third of the cubes whole for texture. Mash the remaining roasted squash roughly with a fork, then mix in the caramelised onions, Dijon mustard, grated vegetarian mature cheddar and chopped fresh sage leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning with sea salt and black pepper.

6. 6

   On a lightly floured work surface, roll the chilled pastry into a roughly 30 cm circle. Transfer to a baking tray lined with kitchen paper or lightly floured parchment. Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard over the centre, leaving a 4 cm border. Spoon the filling into the centre, arrange the reserved whole squash cubes on top, then fold the pastry border up over the filling in pleats to form the galette. Brush the pastry edge with the beaten free-range egg and scatter a little extra grated vegetarian mature cheddar and a few sage leaves over the top.

7. 7

   Bake the galette in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden and the cheese is melted.

8. 8

   Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Scatter any remaining fresh sage leaves over the top and serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips

• Keep all pastry ingredients cold and work quickly — the cold butter creates flakes in the baked pastry.
• Roast the squash on a hot tray in a single layer; turning once ensures caramelisation rather than steaming.
• Caramelise the onions low and slow — patience here gives the filling a deep, sweet backbone.
• Assemble on a sheet of parchment for an easy transfer to the oven and to avoid breaking the galette.
• Make the pastry and roast the squash up to a day ahead; keep chilled and then warm the squash slightly before assembling.

Substitutions

• butternut squash → peeled pumpkin or kabocha squash, same quantity

  Stays close

• vegetarian mature cheddar → gruyère or a mature medium cheddar (not vegetarian-certified)

  Noticeably different

• plain flour → gluten-free plain flour blend, same weight (results slightly more fragile)

  Noticeably different

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

660

Calories

14 g

Protein

57 g

Carbs

42 g

Fat

3 g

Fibre

8 g

Sugar

560 mg

Sodium

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