A freezer stash of puff pastry is great to have at your fingertips. It’s a canvas on which you can throw together ingredients to make a variety of meals without too much thought – ideal for using up leftover veg, meats, or fruit. These are two of my most-used ways that work served hot or cold, but preheating the baking sheet is key to getting a crisp bottom.
Tomato galette with basil chilli drizzle (pictured top)
This is my puff-pastry ode to a cheat’s pizza, and a brilliant way to use slightly soft tomatoes, or ones lacking in flavour. I love the word “galette” – it makes it sound terribly fancy, but really it is just a free-form tart, so the more rustic, the better. The salting of the tomatoes is an important step to avoid a soggy-bottomed pastry. You could, of course, use this as a base for other bits, such as leftover chicken or ham, or antipasti.
Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Serves 4
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt
500g ripe tomatoes
1 x 400g block puff pastry, rolled into a rough 30cm circle on baking parchment
50g cheddar, grated
1 tsp dried oregano
1 egg, beaten
For the basil chilli drizzle
1 small pack basil
50ml olive oil
½ tsp chilli flakes
½ garlic clove, peeled and crushed
Heat a baking sheet in the oven at 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.
In a small saucepan, heat the vegetable oil on medium-low and cook the onion with a pinch of salt until soft and sticky – about 20 minutes.
Slice the tomatoes into thin slices, pop on to a plate, salt generously and leave for five minutes or so, to allow the water to release.
Meanwhile, spread the caramelised onion over the pastry circle, leaving a 5cm border, then pile the salted tomatoes on top and sprinkle over the cheddar and oregano. Fold the border so it slightly overlaps the tomatoes, then brush the pastry edges with beaten egg. Pop on to the heated baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, until the tomatoes are softened and the pastry is golden.
For the drizzle, blitz together all the ingredients and season. Slice and serve the galette immediately, covered generously with the drizzle.
Summer berry turnovers
These are a great way to get children involved in cooking, and they make the most of a glut of summer berries (feel free to mix up the berries to your taste). A thick compote will help the pastry to keep its integrity and not become soggy. While they are great as is just out of the oven, or with the odd drizzle of cream, I also love mine cold with a cup of tea.
Prep 15 min
Cook 50 min
Makes 6
10g butter
400g summer berries (frozen or fresh)
50g caster sugar
10g cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
1 x 400g-500g block puff pastry (the size doesn’t matter too much as long as it’s rolled to the correct thickness), on baking parchment, rolled into a rectangle about 5mm thick, then cut into 6 squares
1 beaten egg yolk
1 tbsp milk
Demerara sugar, for sprinkling
Heat a baking sheet in an oven at 200C (180C fan)/gas 6.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, then add the berries, sugar, cornflour mixture, vanilla and lemon zest. Increase the heat and cook, stirring now and again, until the berries are thick and compote-like – about 15 minutes. Leave to cool completely.
Put a tablespoon of the cooled berry compote in the middle of each pastry square. Brush the pastry edges with water then bring one corner over to meet the other, and press the edges to seal. Make a small incision with your knife in the top of each turnover to allow steam to escape.
Pop the turnovers on to the preheated baking tray. Mix together the egg yolk and milk to make a glaze, and use to brush each turnover. Sprinkle over the demerara sugar and bake for about 15 minutes, until golden and puffed up. Enjoy hot or cold.
Cook Clever: One Chop, No Waste, All Taste by Shivi Ramoutar is published by HarperCollins at £20. To order a copy for £17.60, visit guardianbookshop.com
