Courgette galette

Try Diploma headteacher Lou Kissane’s classy Courgette Galette as our ingredient of the month gets a Leiths level summer glow-up with a glass of Vermentino suggested by our Head of Wine, Marjorie Legendre.

Wine pairing of the month

To complement the summery flavours of the galette, I would happily go for a light and crisp style of white wine such as a Vermentino from the Italian island of Sardinia (Eccelsa Vermentino, available in Waitrose). Vermentino is a grape that loves heat, but still retains great freshness, and displays aromas of white peach and zesty lemon. Saluti!

Recipe of the month

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the pastry 

170g plain flour

110g butter, cut into small cubes 

Pinch of Salt 

½ tbsp chopped thyme 

35ml ice-cold water 

½ tbsp white wine vinegar 
 

For the topping 

125g ricotta cheese 

40g grated parmesan 

Zest of ½ lemon 

Salt and pepper 

2 tbsp basil chiffonaded  

3-4 baby courgettes 

1½ tbsp olive oil 

Salt and pepper 
 

To finish 

Egg glaze 

Poppy seeds 

Drizzle of olive oil 

Grated parmesan 

Small basil leaves 

Making the pastry

1. Sift the flour into a Magimix. Add the cubed butter with the pinch of salt and the chopped thyme. 

2. Pulse to rub the butter into the flour. This can be done in short bursts to avoid the butter becoming too warm. The mixture should be of a light yellow colour and you should see no visible lumps of butter. Between your fingers the mixture should feel fully incorporated and like fine breadcrumbs. Place this into a large glass bowl. Shake the bowl and check that no lumps of butter come to the surface.  

3. In a jug, mix the iced water with the vinegar and combine well. Measure 45ml of the water-vinegar liquid. 

4. Quickly and efficiently, add the 45ml of liquid to the bowl and, using a cutlery knife, mix well. You may need to shake the bowl a little as well to encourage even distribution.  

5. At this stage the dough should start to form small dough like lumps. If it isn’t, add a small amount more liquid and continue to mix. Too much liquid will make the pastry tough.  

6. Using your hands in the bowl, bring together the dough with efficiency. Overworking the dough will make it tough.  

7. Knead for 5 seconds on a clean work surface to ensure it is smooth and cohesive.  

8. Shape into a 2-3cm thick rectangle. Wrap well in cling film and fridge for 10 minutes. 

Rolling the pastry

9. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside. 

10. Place the pastry on a lightly floured surface First ‘ridge’ the pastry disc: hold the rolling pin in both hands loosely and tap it lightly over the entire surface of the pastry 3 or 4 times. Turn the pastry 90° and ridge again. Repeat until the rectangle has at least doubled in size. Don’t turn the pastry over; it is unnecessary and can result in overworking. 

11. Use short, sharp strokes of the rolling pin, rather than one long roll. Turn the pastry 90° after every few rolls. Roll the pastry to a thickness of 3mm. Lift the pastry onto the baking parchment and chill until needed. 

For the courgette and ricotta topping

12. Mix the ricotta, parmesan, basil and seasoning in a small bowl. Slice the courgettes into thin rounds and place into a separate bowl with olive oil and seasoning. 

13. Preheat the oven to 220˚C. 

14. Remove the pastry from the fridge and using a palette knife, smooth the ricotta topping over the top of the pastry leaving a 3cm gap from the edge. 

15. Neatly arrange the courgette on top in an attractive design. Fold the edge of the pastry up around the courgette and pinch and fold where needed.  

16. Glaze the edges with egg glaze and sprinkle some poppy seeds onto the pastry edges. 

17. Place into the oven and turn down to 200˚C. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden and cooked through.  

18. Remove from the oven and garnish with parmesan shavings, a drizzle of olive oil and basil leaves.