Blueberry Galette

It’s been a while I know, so why my internet silence? It’s not that I haven’t been food focused and creative over the last nine months, quite the opposite. I started a new business in April 2014, Gourmet Gannet Kitchen which is a small artisan bakery/patisserie in Huapai close to where I live. With new crazy night shifts baking bread, learning more about sour doughs and creating new recipes for the shop the blog has taken a bit of a ‘back burner’. But I’m still here, although likely more sporadic with my postings from here on. I had intended to document my journey but that was a little romanic idea when reality is the grafting just needed to get done.

I love my new business, it gives me lots of creativity and autonomy. Each week we renovate a bit more of the shop or add new equipment. This year I’ll shift my working hours from 10pm to 8am, to a more sensible 3am to midday. This will mean fresh bread baked through the day for customers rather than all ready and baked for 7am. I’m hoping our loyal clientele will be happy with this new offering even if it does mean that their regular loaf may not be ready by 7am. But it will mean that they may get to take their favourite loaf home at 8am or 9am straight from the oven. I’ll let you know how the new production is going at some point.

If you want to follow what I’m up to on a weekly basis I post lots of pics on our Facebook page Gourmet Gannet Kitchen (link in sidebar).

Here’s a recipe for a Seasonal Blueberry Tart, which we are currently selling at the shop.

300g Shortcrust pastry. You can use my recipe here or shop bought

400g fresh blueberries (3chips)

1.5 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla paste

1 tsp cornflour/cornstarch

zest of 1 lemon

1 free range for for egg wash, whisked

Preheat oven 180C

On a floured surface, roll pastry out to the size of a dinner plate. I use a dinner plate to cut round to get an even shape. Rest in fridge for 15mins.

Mix together the sugar, cornflour, lemon zest and vanilla.

Place the pastry onto a baking tray.

Arrange the blueberries in the centre of pastry base leaving an inch bare around the edge to fold over.

Fold dough into the centre to cover the edge of the blueberries, pleating and presiding together as you go, it doesn’t have to be perfect, galettes are rustic. Egg wash the edge crust of the pastry.

Sprinkle the sugar mix over the blueberries. The cornflour helps thicken the juice from the berries.

Bake for 25 minutes. Serve with ice cream, yoghurt or cream!