Apple Pie Galette

The French do a lot of things right. The galette is one of them.

Done in 3 hours

Dish by Hugh Woodward

Ingredients

For the crust:

200gplain flour

1 tbspcaster sugar

1 tspfine sea salt

1large egg

120gbutter, cubed

1a lemon, zest and juice

For the filling:

4, peeled and cored and cut into pieces Bramley apples

1 tspground cinnamon (optional)

120ggolden caster sugar

3 tbspcorn flour

from 1 lemonlemon juice

And the rest:

1egg, beaten with a splash of cream

3 tbspdemerara sugar

to servecaramel sauce

to servevanilla ice cream

A simple yet delicious thing, the galette is a low input, high output showstopper. Like the tarte tatine, it's all about a few ingredients and a certain sort of rugged elegance. This version uses the flavours of a classic all-American apple pie. It's delicious.

Method

Use a food processor to whizz together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar and salt). Add the butter and work it into the flour mixture until the butter is evenly dispersed in pea sized chunks. Resist the urge to go any further - the lumps of butter are what make the pastry flaky.

Add the egg and the cream and work it together until it forms a loose, rough dough. Bring it together on a work surface without kneading it, fashion it into a disk and set it in the fridge for a few hours to hydrate and chill.

Meanwhile, toss the apple chunks with the sugar, corn flour and lemon.

Roll out the pastry until it's roughly 4mm thick and a vague circle - don't worry if it's rough around the edges, this is the nonchalant Gallic character of the tart and should be embraced.

Spoon the apple filling into the middle and gently fold up the sides. Again, having folds and ugly bits is actively encouraged here. Brush the sides with the egg and cream mixture, scatter with demerara sugar and bake for around 40 minutes to an hour until golden, crisp and bubbling.

Serve with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream.

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Hugh Woodward

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Hugh's culinary life began aged 14 when he cooked spaghetti hoop burritos to impress girls. Since then his colourful career has taken him to performing in Skegness, making cheese in Peckham, running a wine bar on Columbia Road and reluctantly working in a (briefly) Michelin Starred restaurant. He likes fish, things cooked on charcoal, cheap dinners and London's rich cultural tapestry of food shops. When he's not cooking or eating he can be found mudlarking by the river Thames, buying bits in flea markets and hanging out with his cat Keith.