Apricot raspberry rose galette

Killing time in South Brisbane recently on a recent trip to my hometown, I spent a delightful half hour browsing the aisles of Triton Food Brokers, a treasure trove of imported European grocery items and bulk foods in an unassuming stretch of Montague Rd. In amongst the baklava, and olives, haloumi and marzipan, pastizzi and pomegranate molasses I found edible rose petals for $1.50 and bargain barberries (a find for an owner of multiple Ottolenghi cookbooks who has up til now just been subbing in cranberries because she thought he made them up). I wasn't sure when I'd use the rose petals, but paging through a cookbook I got for Christmas, I came across this recipe for apricot raspberry rose galette. It was fated as I've been trying to make the most of summer fruit before disappearing for a month into winter. A galette is basically the lazy person's pie (half the rolling and no crimping or complicated lattice work) but better still, its open top allows you to see the glorious colours of the fruit within. And this is one of the prettiest palettes you'll see - orange and red and pink. The crust is made with cornmeal, which gives it a nice texture, a lovely contrast with the jamminess of the fruit. A fitting farewell to summer.


 

Apricot raspberry rose galette
Adapted from Sister Pie by Lisa Ludwinski

The original recipe called for 1/4 tsp rose flower water in the filling and the crust. I didn't use any - mainly because I didn't have any but also because the rose petals already gave enough of a floral note and I thought any more might have been de trop - but by all means give it a go if you have some lying around and you're particularly partial to that sort of thing. This makes quite a modest, 7 inch galette - enough to feed four generously, or six sensibly.



Filling
6oz apricots, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces (1 1/3 cups)
3oz raspberries (2/3 cup)
1/4 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp cornstarch

Cornmeal galette dough (recipe below), rolled out into an 11 inch circle and laid flat on a tray lined with baking paper and refrigerated
2 tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg, beaten
raw sugar, to scatter on top
1 tbsp edible dried rose petals


Preheat oven to 425 deg F.

To make the filling, combine raspberries and apricots with lemon zest in a medium-sized bowl. In a smaller bowl, stir together cornstarch, sugar and salt, then pour over the fruit and toss with your hands to distribute evenly.

Take the crust out of the fridge and spread the cream cheese onto the centre of the dough, leaving a 1 1/2 inch border. Arrange fruit atop cream cheese in single layer, then fold over the edges of the dough where the cream cheese ends and press it down gently into the filling so that it will contain the fruit while baking. There will be overlapping bits of dough. Don't strive for perfection here - aim for a circle but honestly it won't matter at all if it's more geometric (see mine!).

Brush the top of the crust with the beaten egg and scatter with a tablespoon or so of raw sugar. Slide the baking tray into the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or til the crust is golden brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 deg F and continue to cook for 1 hour, or til the fruit starts to bubble in the centre.

Remove tray from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for an hour, then decorate the fruit filling with rose petals.

Eat at room temperature. If you make it in advance, it will keep at room temperature (covered with plastic or under a pie dome) for up to two days. Or longer if stored in the fridge.


Cornmeal rose galette dough

3/4 cup flour
3 tbsp yellow fine yellow cornmeal
1/2 tbsp edible dried rose petals
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
6 tbsp (3oz) butter, cubed, fridge cold
3 tbsp ice cold water-vinegar mixture (recipe below)


Put flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and rose petals in a food processor and whizz briefly at high speed to combine. Add in butter and whizz again on high just long enough til mixture resembles breadcrumbs. With the motor running at a low speed, pour in water-vinegar mixture til a dough starts to form, then tip out onto a floured counter and pat into a disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or ideally, overnight.

The dough will keep in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer (double wrap it in plastic) for up to a year.


Water-vinegar mixture

Fill a one cup measuring cup about halfway up with ice, then add water and 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar.