Grape and strawberry crostata

Name: Grape and strawberry crostata
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 80g plain flour; 30g wholemeal flour; ¼ tsp flaked sea salt; ½ tsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped; 3½ tbsp sugar; 110g unsalted butter, fridge-cold and cut into 1.5cm cubes; 60ml ice-cold water; 1 egg, beaten; 350g black grapes, halved; 150g strawberries, hulled, then halved or quartered, depending on size; 3 strips orange peel; 1 tbsp lemon juice; ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste; 2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and crushed, plus ¼ tsp extra to serve; 60g caster sugar; ½ tsp cornflour; 1½ tbsp rosemary sprigs

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 4 servings

Black grapes paired with fresh strawberries make this Italian tart come to life in an easy-to-make flaky pastry.

The dough is very wet and sticky – you’ll need to flour your hands and surface often – but the result is a super-short, flaky pastry that you’ll want to keep coming back to.

Note: you will need to let the dough rest for an hour on top of he prep time.

Tags:

Italian Mediterranean Dessert Pastry Pies, Flans & Pizzas

Ingredients

For the pastry crust

80g plain flour
30g wholemeal flour
¼ tsp flaked sea salt
½ tsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped
3½ tbsp sugar
110g unsalted butter, fridge-cold and cut into 1.5cm cubes
60ml ice-cold water
1 egg, beaten

For the filling

350g black grapes, halved
150g strawberries, hulled, then halved or quartered, depending on size
3 strips orange peel
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp vanilla bean paste
2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and crushed, plus ¼ tsp extra to serve
60g caster sugar
½ tsp cornflour
1½ tbsp rosemary sprigs

Method

For the pastry

Mix the flours, salt, rosemary and two and a half tablespoons of sugar. Squash the butter cubes into the mix with your fingers; you want chunks dotted throughout the dough, so don’t overwork the butter.
Add the water, then, using your hands, gather the dough into a shaggy, wet and sticky mess – you’ll need to scrape dough off your hands a few times. Transfer to a well-floured surface and roll into a 28cm x 18cm rectangle, flouring the rolling pin and surface as you go.
Fold the longer ends in towards each other, so they meet in the middle, then roll over once. Now fold in the shorter ends, roll out once, then fold in half, so you’re left with a square. Using your hands, form into a circle, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for half an hour.
On a well-floured surface, roll the dough again, this time into a 28cm circle, then carefully lift on to a tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate again for 30 minutes.

Mix all the filling ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Strain the fruit over a saucepan to catch the liquid that’s been produced, then spoon the drained fruit and aromatics into the centre of the pastry circle, leaving a 5cm rim around the edge.

Fold the rim up and over the edges of the fruit, and seal any cracks or holes in the pastry by squashing it together with your fingers, to prevent leakage. Brush the pastry with beaten egg wash (you won’t need it all), sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar evenly over the top, and bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Leave to cool for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, reduce the fruit syrup on a medium-high heat for about four minutes, until it’s the consistency of thick maple syrup. Drizzle over the crostata, sprinkle on the remaining fennel seeds, and serve warm or at room temperature.