Poached Pear Galette with Quince Paste

HISTORY & INTERESTING FACTS

I decided to take a brief hiatus from filming The Winery Kitchen over the Mother's Day weekend, wanting to cherish some quality moments with my husband and our little girl, Mia. However, my passion for cooking didn't wane, and Mia and I embarked on creating a couple of wonderfully uncomplicated, speedy, and delectable galettes in the kitchen.

The beauty of galettes lies in their versatility; you can fill them with a myriad of flavour combinations, whether sweet or savoury. Crafting them is an absolute delight and the end result is truly delicious. In case you're wondering, a galette is essentially a term used for a round, free-form pie—distinct from the folded crepe-style Breton galette.

Now, while this galette may not hail from traditional Spanish cuisine, its roots have a certain Franco-Catalan charm. In the Catalan region, particularly near the French border, you'll find a beloved almond-filled variation known as Rois Royal. It's a delightful nod to the culinary influences shared between Spain and France, making it a fitting addition to my repertoire. Rest assured, my version retains its trademark simplicity while exuding rustic elegance, making it a stunning centrepiece at any dining table.

The exact origins and inventor of Rois Royal, also known as Roscón de Reyes, are not definitively documented. This traditional Catalan pastry is often associated with the celebration of Epiphany, which commemorates the visit of the Magi, or Three Wise Men, to the infant Jesus. It's believed to have been part of Epiphany festivities for centuries, making its exact age challenging to determine.

Rois Royal typically features a ring or oval-shaped sweet bread adorned with candied fruits, often in the form of colourful jewels, symbolising the jewels of the Three Wise Men. A hidden figurine (usually representing the baby Jesus) is often baked into the pastry. The person who finds the figurine in their slice is considered the "king" or "queen" of the day and is expected to host or provide the Roscón de Reyes for the following year's celebration.

This particular galette recipe draws inspiration from my poached pears recipe and incorporates quince paste. The resulting flavour combination is a delightful ode to autumn, artfully presented on a plate. In fact, I'm inclined to dub it 'A Spanish Galette,' as it carries subtle influences from my heritage flavours.

Bon Profit! Raquel x

Makes: 2 x 20cm galettes that can serve: 4 - 8 people

INGREDIENTS for pastry 

• 250 g plain/wholemeal flour (GF flour can be used)
• 75 g cold butter, cut into cubes
• 1 tbsp fine caster sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 60 mL ice-cold water (use more if needed, but only add a tbsp at a time)

Note: If you want to make a pie with a savoury filling, you can leave out the sugar, but really you won't notice the sweetness - and it does give the crumb a nicer mouthfeel when sugar is used.

INGREDIENTS for filling

• 4 poached pears, sliced (see Pears poached in Red Wine Recipe)
• I have included an option below for using (un-poached) pears, but you will also need 1 lemon and 2 tbsp raw sugar
• 50 g quince paste

METHOD

Part 1. Galette

1. In a large bowl gently mix all dry ingredients.
2. Add in cubed butter, ensuring it is very cold and press the butter into the dry ingredients between your finger tips. Note: You are looking for a sand-like texture with pea-sized pieces of butter throughout.
3. Once your dough is crumbly and sand-like, begin adding iced water to the dough one tablespoon at a time whilst kneading the dough for a smooth consistency.
4. Stop adding water when your dough comes together. You want the dough to be moist and springy, but not sticky. If your dough has become too wet, sift in a bit more flour a tablespoon at a time.
5. Roll your dough into a ball with very minimal cracks and cover in plastic wrap.
6. Refrigerate your dough for at least 30 minutes.

The very lovely and talented Gosia Gibson gave my galette recipe a try and filmed some of the making of it (at my request) to assist everyone at home. Love, Love, Love!

Part 2. Filling

Follow Poached Pear Recipe here OR

• Peel 4 (un-cooked) brown pears, cut each pear in half and de-stem/deseed, then cut each half into thin slices (place into a bowl and squeeze juice from 1 lemon over pears and mix well to coat, careful not to break any slices). Leave until ready to use.

Part 3. Assemble

1. Preheat your oven to 180° (fan-forced is fine, but keep an eye on the pie so the edges don't burn)
2. Remove dough from the refrigerator and cut dough ball into two halves.
3. Between two pieces of baking paper, roll each dough half into a thin 25 cm round (about 3mm thick, so pretty thin)
4. Peel back the top layer of baking paper and place each galette onto a baking tray with the bottom piece of baking paper lining each tray
5. Leaving no border, spread half the quince paste evenly over each galette
6. Now leaving a 4-5 cm border around the edges, and using the middle as your starting point, lay half the quantity of sliced pear down in a circular fan, or spiral, pattern all the way around the middle. Repeat with second galette and remaining pear.

Note: If you are using (non-cooked) pears, sprinkle 1 tbsp of raw sugar over each galette at this point.

• Fold over the edges of your dough, pleating in one, single direction and pinching edges slightly to seal as you go.

Note: This will help to not have your pie unfold in the oven (see Troubleshooting section below).

• Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until pie edges are golden brown.

TIPS, CHEATS & TROUBLESHOOTING

The main issue you may encounter is with the pastry opening/unfolding in the oven.

To prevent this from happening: Keep one half of the dough ball in the fridge whilst you work with the first half. This will keep the dough cold and prevent the butter from softening too much before it gets to the oven.

Also, have all of your ingredients ready to go BEFORE you roll out your first dough half. Then you can roll it out and assemble your filling without too much fuss - no one will mind if your pears are not perfectly fanned or spaced!

Also, if your oven is not to temperature before you put pies in, you will need to leave them in a bit longer than noted. I know that on a cold day, my oven takes just that little bit longer to hit the sweet spot. You will know your own oven.

WINE MATCHING & SERVING SUGGESTIONS

This pairs wonderfully with my Vino Caliente - mulled wine recipe.

Serve with some pouring cream for guests to drizzle over.

For a vegan cream version:

Whisk 1/2 cup of coconut cream with 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste. The consistency will be thicker than regular pouring cream, so serve with a spoon for guests to dollop onto their galette slice.