PEAR AND GINGER GALETTE
This shows just how quick and easy it can be to make a fruit tart, especially if you take the cheat’s option of ready-made pastry (in which case you’ll need a 320g sheet of all-butter sweet shortcrust). You don’t even need a tart tin because the crimped edges keep everything in place. I like to make one large tart for a family supper, but you could make individual ones for a more formal dinner.
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
FOR THE SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof or baking paper.
  2. First make the pastry. Sift the flour and icing sugar into a bowl. Add the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the lemon zest, then add the egg and mix to combine. Gradually add just enough ice-cold water (1–2 tablespoons) to form a dough. Knead lightly into a smooth ball, then wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.
  3. When ready, flour a work surface and roll out the pastry to a thickness of 4mm (slightly thicker than a £1 coin). Place a 22cm dinner plate upside-down on the pastry and cut around it. Transfer the pastry circle to the prepared baking sheet. The excess pastry can be set aside for use in another dish or frozen.
  4. Mix together the pears, demerara sugar, both gingers, the ginger syrup and half the lemon zest.
  5. . Arrange the pears in a neat pattern around the centre of the pastry, leaving a 3cm empty border around the edge. Brush the border with the beaten egg yolk.
  6. Fold up the pastry border around the pears, crimping it into a wavy ‘wall’. Brush the top of the pastry rim with more egg wash, then dust everything with icing sugar. Sprinkle the remaining lemon zest over the top and bake for 30–35 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the pears tender and caramelising slightly.
  7. Dust the finished tart with a light sprinkling of icing sugar, then slice and serve with a little pouring cream.