Yotam Ottolenghi’s Peach and Chilli Galette

Ingredients

• 1 cup (150g) plain flour, plus extra, for dusting
• 1 1/2 tbs almond flour
• 3 tsp white sugar, plus 1 tbs extra, to sprinkle
• 115g unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1cm cubes
• 1/4 cup (60ml) buttermilk, chilled, plus 1 tbs extra to glaze
• 1 tsp Apple cider vinegar

Frangipane and filling

• 85g roasted salted shelled pistachios
• 55g almond flour
• 1 1/2 tbs plain flour
• 25-30 cardamom pods, pods discarded, seeds lightly crushed (3/4 tsp)
• 75g unsalted butter, cut into 1cm cubes, at room temperature
• 70g white sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3 firm peaches (about 170g each), cut into 2cm-thick wedges, plus 1 extra, cut into wedges, to serve

Syrup

• 1 chilli, deseeded, thinly sliced
• 50g white sugar
• 3 tsp Apple cider vinegar

Whipped creme fraiche

• 2/3 cup (160ml) creme fraiche
• 2 1/2 tbs buttermilk
• 1 tsp white sugar

Method

1. To make the dough, place the flours, sugar and 1/2 tsp fine salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse for about 10 seconds, until it forms roughly pea-size crumbs. Pour in the buttermilk and vinegar and pulse 3-4 times, until the dough just starts to come together. Transfer onto a lightly floured piece of baking paper and use your hands to bring pastry together. (Lightly flour your hands if needed.) Using your hands, flatten pastry into a 15cm disc. Wrap the paper around the pastry and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, for the frangipane, add the pistachios to the food processor (no need to clean it) and blend to form coarse crumbs. Transfer to a small bowl and mix with the almond flour, plain flour and 1/2 tsp of the crushed cardamom seeds, reserving remaining 1/4 tsp for the syrup. Place the butter and sugar into the food processor and whiz until pale and fluffy, then add the egg and whiz until combined, scraping down the side a few times. Add the pistachio mixture and pulse 2-3 times to combine. Return the frangipane to the bowl and refrigerate for 10-20 minutes, until cold but still spoonable.
3. Remove dough from fridge and liberally flour both sides. Keeping the pastry on the baking paper, use a rolling pin to make a very thin circle, roughly 30cm across. Lift the baking paper with the pastry onto a large baking tray. Spoon frangipane into centre of pastry and smooth it to a 15cm diameter. Pile the peaches on top of frangipane, leaving the exposed pastry border clear. Carefully fold pastry border over the fruit, roughly pleating it where needed, leaving the fruit exposed at the centre of the galette. Using a pastry brush, apply a thin layer of the extra buttermilk to the pastry, then sprinkle the extra 1 tbs of sugar over pastry and exposed peaches. Refrigerate galette for 20 minutes, until pastry is cold and set. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced.
4. Bake the galette for 35-40 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden and the exposed frangipane has formed a golden crust. Remove from the oven.
5. While the galette bakes, make the syrup by mixing the chilli, sugar, remaining 1/4 tsp cardamom seeds and 2 1/2 tbs of water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, until deeply golden and syrupy. Stir in the vinegar, cook for 10 seconds more and take off the heat.
6. Brush most of the warm syrup over the peaches and frangipane when the galette comes out of the oven, reserving remaining syrup to serve. (If the syrup has set, gently reheat it before applying.) Allow galette to cool for at least 30 minutes.
7. For the whipped creme fraiche, whisk together creme fraiche, buttermilk and sugar until it forms soft peaks, then transfer to a small serving bowl.
8. Serve the galette warm, at room temperature or even cold, with extra peach wedges drizzled with reserved syrup and the whipped creme fraiche on the side. For the flakiest crust, this is best enjoyed the day it’s made, but can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Recipe by Yotam Ottolengi