Caramelised Sausage, Onion and Pear Galette

We’ve had a lot of extra pears lying in the refrigerator this past week. It’s colder outside and the urge to eat fresh fruit is not as strong. So cooking with fruit is the next best option, and I decided to pair the pears with sausage meat to create this simple galette. The crust is simple and comes together in a food processor, ensuring little fuss and mess. The filling is of four parts with a base of ricotta cheese to carry the flavours of the other three components, caramelised onions for body, caramelised sausage that is evenly spiced and aromatic with a nice hit of fresh thyme, and finally caramelised pears to contrast the depth of the sausage with it’s lovely sweet + tart complexity. It sounds like a lot is going on, but really it takes very little to create a beautiful dinner, if you’re looking to do a simple date night at home.

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Ingredients

For the crust

  • 100g white spelt flour

  • 100g wholemeal spelt flour

  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

  • 1/2 tsp carom seeds

  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

  • 1 tsp raw sugar

  • Pinch of salt

  • 1 egg

  • 50g unsalted butter, fridge cold

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 tbsp ice water

For the caramelised onions

  • 2 medium onions, sliced

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 tsp soft light brown sugar

  • Salt to taste

For the caramelised sausage

  • 1 400g pack Cumberland sausages, casings removed

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 1/4 tsp mild chilli powder

  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

  • 1 tsp soft light brown sugar

  • Salt to taste

For the caramelised pears

  • 1 large pear, cored and sliced into ~1cm thick slices

  • 1 tsp soft light brown sugar

  • Salt and pepper for seasoning

For the filling base

  • 100g ricotta cheese

For brushing

  • 1-2 tsp olive oil

Method of Preparation

  1. Add all the ingredients for the crust to a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine, and the blend till it comes together. Shape into a ball, cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

  2. While the crust is chilling, prepare the filling. For the caramelised onions - to a non-stick pan on medium heat, add the olive oil. As it warms, add the onion and sauté for a minute. Then add salt and continue to cook till it softens, ~5 minutes. Add the soft light brown sugar and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the onions to a bowl. For the caramelised sausage - to the same pan on medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the sausage meat and use a spatula to break up the meat to resemble a crumble. The meat will change colour and release some liquid. Then add the mild chilli powder + black pepper + salt and cook for ~5 minutes. Add the soft light brown sugar and cook for another 5-8 minutes. Transfer the sausage meat to a bowl, reserving the oil in the pan. For the caramelised pears - add the sliced pears to the pan, on medium heat, with reserved oil. Add the salt + pepper and allow it to cook for ~3-4 minutes. Add the soft light brown sugar and cook for another 3-4 minutes before turning off the heat.

  3. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C fan.

  4. Remove the chilled crust dough from the refrigerator. Divide into two and shape into balls, without any cracks. Flatten them into discs. Place a disc between two sheets of parchment paper, and use a rolling pin to roll it out till it’s 1/4 cm thick all around. Transfer the crust base(s) with the parchment paper to a baking sheet/tray. Add 50g of ricotta to each crust base, leaving a 2 inch border free all around. Top each crust base with half the caramelised onions, then with half the caramelised sausage meat, and then with half the caramelised pears. Use the parchment paper to help fold in the edges. Transfer the baking sheet/tray with the galette(s) to the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove from the freezer, brush the crust edges with oil, and bake for 30-35 minutes till the crust edges are brown and the visible pears and sausage meat are roast-y. Remove from the oven, and allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.