Cook Time: 1 hour
What you need
For the shortcrust pastry:
- 250g Odlums self-raising flour
- 125g unsalted butter, cold, cubed
- 4–6 tbsp cold water (adjust as needed)
For the filling:
- 3 medium red onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- I tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 4-5 ripe but firm pears, thinly sliced
- 200g Cashel Blue cheese, crumbled
- 1 egg yolk, beaten (for glazing)
- 1–2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
Recipe Steps
- Make the pastry:
- Rub the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Gradually add cold water, 1 tbsp at a time, until the dough comes together.
- Form into a disc, wrap in cling film or parchment, and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Caramelise the onions:
- Heat butter in a pan over medium-low heat.
- Add the sliced onions, cook slowly for 30–35 minutes under a piece of parchment paper stirring occasionally, until soft and golden. Add the sugar and balsamic vinegar and stir for a few minutes until the mixture is rich in colour and almost a little sticky. Set aside to cool.
- Assemble the galette:
- Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Roll out the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface into a roughly 30cm circle.
- Transfer to the prepared tray.
- Spread the caramelised onions in the center, leaving a 5cm border.
- Arrange pear slices on top of the onions and sprinkle with Cashel Blue cheese.
- Fold the edges of the pastry over the filling, pleating slightly as you go.
- Glaze and decorate:
- Brush the exposed pastry edges with beaten egg yolk.
- Sprinkle pumpkin seeds over the edges for texture and crunch.
- Bake:
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until pastry is golden and crisp and the cheese has melted.
- Allow to cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
