A Rustic Persimmon & Apple Galette

This recipe is part of the series The Recipe I Mastered This Year

My fascination with pies and galettes began while I was studying in New York. The intricate lattice work on flaky pie crusts inexplicably drew me to their rustic beauty. It made me want to bake and perfect these beauties.

This year I spent lot of time working on galettes. From the heartbreak of having to throw away batches of uncooked pies, to slowly achieving decent flaky pies with crusts varying from all purpose flour to buckwheat and rye, it has been all about practice and patience.

This is a persimmon galette with Granny Smith apples. The sweetness of the persimmon combined with tart apples and pepper lends the galette a unique and delicious flavour .

Recipe for Marina's Persimmon and Apple Galette

Ingredients

For the crust
180g all purpose flour
114 g unsalted cold butter
1 tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup iced water (use about 10 tbsps depending on the requirement)

For the Filling
500 g fruit (approx. 1 large Granny Smith apples & 2 medium-sized persimmon )
Zest of 1 orange or 1 lemon
2 tbsp fresh orange or lemon juice
Salt, a pinch
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp Malabar pepper
2 tbsp granulated sugar

For persimmon purée
1 ripe persimmon

Honey Glaze
25g honey
10g water
1/4 tsp vanilla
Salt, a pinch
1 tbsp flaked almonds

Method

Place flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl.

Cut butter into chunks, and add to the flour. Toss lightly to coat.

Working quickly, using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour mixture until there are only large pea-sized chunks left. You want a few lumps of butter remaining to keep the pastry nice and tender.

Place iced water in a bowl.

Sprinkle a few tablespoons of the ice water into the flour and butter mixture, and using a stiff spatula or your hands, mix in well.

Continue adding water a tablespoon at a time (I normally need about 8-10 tbsp) until you have a dough that holds together well, but is not too wet.

Squeeze together with your fingertips to make a homogenous dough.

Shape into a rectangular disc and wrap in plastic wrap.

Allow to rest in the fridge for at least an hour .

For Persimmon purée

Cut the persimmon into half and scoop out the purée inside.

Whisk well with pepper, salt and cinnamon

Spread into the chilled crimped pie crust and smooth down with an offset spatula

Place in the fridge while you prepare the apples.

Filling & Baking

Take the dough out of the fridge and allow to rest for a few minutes at room temperature.

Roll out the dough into a large circle on a lightly floured surface, about 1/8 – 1/4 inch (3-5 mm) thick. Make sure to roll and turn the dough so it doesn’t stick to the surface.

Using the rolling pin, transfer the dough to a baking sheet covered with baking paper.

Spread the persimmon purée over the rolled out dough, leaving the edges free from filling. Peel the apple and slice them thinly. Place them in a large bowl and add zest, juice, salt, cinnamon, pepper and sugar. Gently toss until all ingredients are combined. Cut the persimmon into half and slice thinly. Place it in a bowl with the above mix. Arrange the slices of fruit in a pattern on top of the Fold the edges over the fruit and press gently to seal. Transfer the galette to the freezer for 15 minutes.

For the Glaze

Place the honey, water, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on low heat for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and set aside until ready to use.

When the galette is ready for the oven, brush the flame around it, and gently place the almond flakes over. Bake the tart for 45 to 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

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