Goat cheese galette with figs and hazelnuts (seasonal savory tart)

If you've ever heard that grapes with cheese taste like a kiss, I can assure you that the pairing of purple figs with cheese is no less. This goat cheese, fig and hazelnut galette is a great example of that perfect combination and one of the most successful recipes at home during fig season.

If they're delicious fresh, roasted they're sheer delight. Roasted figs take on a jam-like texture and since for this savory tart we add them chopped, it's worth using the ripest ones, or using any that may have a bruise.

In this case the dough is homemade: I love that little hazelnut note we add to the dough!, and then we finish each bite with toasted hazelnuts on top. Making the dough is easy—I definitely encourage you to try it—but you can use a refrigerated store-bought dough if you want to make the galette in record time.

This savory goat cheese and fig tart is delicious on its own, though you can serve it with a salad to make a complete lunch or dinner. You only need some lettuce leaves, dressed with a squeeze of lemon juice!

So you can verify that figs with cheese also taste like a kiss, here is the recipe.

Le Creuset ceramic tart dish

Ingredients

For the filling

• 300 g soft goat cheese or soft vegan cheese
• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
• A small bunch of thyme or oregano
• 3 tbsp capers
• A small bunch of parsley, leaves and stems chopped
• Juice and grated zest of ½ unwaxed lemon
• Unsalted butter or vegan butter, for greasing
• 8 purple figs
• 1 free-range hen egg, beaten, or a splash of plant-based milk
• 50 g hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

For the dough

• 25 g hazelnuts
• 1/2 tsp flaky salt
• 225 g white spelt or wheat flour, plus extra for dusting
• 125 g unsalted butter or unsalted vegan butter, very cold, cut into cubes

For serving

• Salad leaves dressed with lemon

Method

Prepare the galette dough:

1. Use a food processor to pulse the hazelnuts gradually until you get fine crumbs; be careful not to overdo it, or it will turn into hazelnut butter.
2. Add the flour and half a teaspoon of flaky sea salt and pulse a little more to combine everything evenly.
3. Now add the very cold butter and pulse again until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
4. Next, with the motor running, add 2–3 tablespoons of ice-cold water, a tablespoon at a time, until a dough ball forms.
5. Remove the dough from the food processor and flatten it onto a tray or a thick plate. Wrap it in a clean kitchen towel or baking paper and chill in the fridge for half an hour.

Prepare the filling and assemble the tart:

1. Preheat the fan oven to 220 °C.
2. Prepare the cheese base. In the same food processor, add the goat cheese, the honey, the leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme, the capers, the parsley, the juice and zest of half the lemon. Season with black pepper and blend for a few seconds until you have a creamy texture with flecks of herbs and capers.
3. Grease your 28 cm Le Creuset ceramic dish with a little butter or non-stick spray.
4. Once the dough has chilled, take it out of the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface to form a circle about 30 cm in diameter and 1 cm thick, turning it as you roll to keep the shape. Roll it onto the rolling pin and carefully transfer it to the tart dish, letting the excess dough hang over the edge.
5. Spread the goat cheese mixture over the dough base, covering the interior.
6. Wash and slice the figs using a sharp knife (or a mandoline, at about 3.5 mm thickness). Arrange the fig slices generously over the cheese, as they will shrink slightly when roasted.
7. Fold the edges of the dough inward to enclose and hold the cheese cream and figs in place.
8. Brush the dough edges with beaten egg and season with salt and pepper.
9. Bake for about 35–45 minutes until golden, and 5 to 10 minutes before taking it out of the oven, if you like, you can sprinkle chopped hazelnuts or almonds on top—they pair well with the filling and will decorate it (about 50 g chopped hazelnuts on top is enough, and they will toast slightly in that time).
10. Remove from the oven and let cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then scatter the remaining thyme or oregano leaves over the top.
11. You can serve it as is or with a little salad dressed with lemon or a balsamic vinaigrette.

Notes

• You can make this recipe with any soft or creamy cheese. Use whichever you prefer or have in the fridge.
• Use thyme, oregano, rosemary... Or lavender! You’ll get a wonderfully fragrant aroma!
• To brush the dough before baking, you can use beaten egg or a plant-based milk such as almond or hazelnut milk.
• Make individual galettes if you're hosting a dinner. You can do them in the Le Creuset ceramic tartlets; they'll look impressive and be ready in less time!