shallot, butternut squash, feta and nigella seed galette

a recipe

i love sweet galettes and now i love savoury galettes. this recipe feels very autumnal sliding into winter, eating at home in the evenings when it’s already been dark for a few hours.

for this recipe you should factor in a minimum of 4 hours chilling time for the dough before baking.

ingredients
for the dough
175g plain flour
150g rye flour
a pinch of salt
200g unsalted butter (cold and diced)
80g full-fat greek yogurt
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp ice cold water
for the filling
1 butternut squash
12 shallots
200g feta
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
plenty of extra virgin olive oil, unsalted butter, sea salt flakes and freshly cracked black pepper
for the crust
1 egg
a generous handful of nigella seeds
for garnishing
fresh coriander

method
make the dough
1. in a jug combine the greek yoghurt, acv and water and set aside. in a deep bowl combine both flours and a pinch of salt, stir together and then add the butter. rub the butter into the flour using either a pastry cutter or your fingers until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. gradually add the yoghurt, acv and water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together. the dough should be smooth and not sticky. shape the dough into a disc and wrap in clingfilm, then chill in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours.
prepare the squash
2. pre-heat the oven to 175c (fan). grind the cumin and coriander seeds with a pestle and mortar until crushed. peel, half and de-seed the squash. cut the squash into 2 inch chunks, then toss in a generous amount of evoo, sea salt flakes, black pepper and the ground cumin and coriander. spread evenly across a baking tray and roast for 25-30 minutes. turn the pieces half way through so each piece is golden brown.
prepare the shallots
3. whilst the squash is roasting prepare the shallots. thinly slice lengthways and warm a thick based skillet (or non-stick frying pan) over a medium heat. to the pan add a glug of evoo, a generous knob of butter, a pinch of sea salt, a good crack of black pepper and the chilli flakes. add the shallots and cook until they’re soft and jammy.
construct and bake the galette
4. turn the oven down a little to 170c (fan). take the dough from the fridge and let it soften just a little, so that it’s easy to roll. generously dust your worktop with flour and roll the dough out to a rough circle shape. it should be approximately ¼ of an inch thick.
5. spread the shallots across the centre of the galette dough, leaving a 3-4 inch border. next arrange the squash across the top of shallots, again leaving a 3-4 inch border. fold the edges of the galette in so that they slightly overlap with the shallots and squash. brush the dough with the beaten egg and scatter with nigella seeds.
6. bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
7. remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. crumble the feta and scatter the coriander across the top and serve.

notes
depending on how thinly you roll the pastry you may end up with a little excess. if this is the case shape it into a disc and chill or freeze until you can make use of it.