A French and Fruity Galette Perfect For Dinner Parties: Try Manon Lagrève's Tarte Rustique Aux Fruits Et Herbes

A decadent, fruity galette perfect for dinner parties, from Manon Lagrève’s Et Voila! A Simple French Baking Love Story

Photography; Nassima Rothacker

Manon Lagrève firmly believes that you don’t need to train as a baker to be able to bake. Her book Et Voila! A Simple French Baking Love Story book is all about French classics both simplified and with a twist. All of her recipes can be made from the comfort from your home, using a basic springform tin or a standard baking tray.

Born in a small village in rural Brittany, Manon remembers her childhood fondly and notes that in most French homes, as was the case in hers, they always have a dessert after lunch and dinner. She still has a dessert every night! She reminisces on her maman cooking for hours in the kitchen preparing meals for her family to enjoy. For her food is all about love and she shares her simple desserts, desserts for special occasions and her family favourites in this beautiful baking love story. Manon encourages us to share the recipes with the people we love, as there is no better feeling than having a bit of la belle vie (the good life).

Et Voila!

TARTE RUSTIQUE AUX FRUITS ET HERBES

Fruity Galette

Simpler and more casual than a tart, a galette (tarte rustique) means you are not using a tart tin but are free-shaping on a baking tray. I make this galette so often for dinner parties as it’s always a success and my friends often ask for the recipe. You can make it with stone fruits as well, or use lavender or rosemary to flavour it – just experiment! Don’t forget to add some fresh fruit and herbs on top and serve with vanilla cream.

Serves: 8
Special equipment a standard baking tray

Ingredients
100g (3 1/2oz) salted butter, softened
100g (3 1/2oz/generous 3/4 cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar
1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
100g (3 1/2oz/1 cup) ground almonds
1 sheet of ready-made puff pastry
300g (10oz) raspberries
200g (7oz) blackberries
1 beaten egg, for brushing
2 tsp flaked (slivered) almonds
a couple of sprigs of oregano or rosemary, to garnish

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C fan (410°F /gas 7).
2. In a bowl, combine the butter and icing sugar with a spatula. Add the egg and yolk and mix well in between. Mix in the vanilla, pinch of salt and ground almonds to finish your frangipane. Set aside.
3. Roll out the pastry on a baking tray and spread the frangipane in the middle, leaving a 3cm (1 1/4in) border around the edge.
4. Cover with three-quarters of the fruits and fold in the sides to make the galette. Use the beaten egg to seal the sides and colour the pastry. Add the flaked almonds around the edges.
5. Bake in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes, but check after about 20 minutes to make sure it doesn’t brown too much – you can cover with tin foil if it colours too quickly.
6. Leave to cool for 15 minutes, then cover with the rest of the fruits and some herbs to serve.

Tip: To make it pretty, I cut scallops with a sharp knife around the edges of the pastry before filling it with the frangipane. I like to serve it warm, with some Crème Anglaise (Vanilla Pouring Custard p. 171).