A fruit galette – also known as a crostata – is one of the simplest and most satisfying desserts of spring and summer. Here I’m spotlighting fresh strawberries, which are halved and tossed with a little lemon juice and sugar, and then baked in a tender crust. The roasting intensifies the flavor and natural sweetness of the berries, while a thin layer of panko crumbs  sprinkled over the crust absorbs the juices, preventing the crust from getting soggy. I’ve paired the galette with a subtly flavored ginger-lime whipped cream, which adds a little zing to the whole thing, but feel free to substitute plain whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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Makes one 10-inch tart, serving 6

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 1/3 cups (173 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons (8 grams) granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 8 tablespoons (114 grams) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and frozen for 20 minutes
• 3 tablespoons (44 grams) ice-cold water, divided
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar

Strawberry Filling:

• 2 pints (560 grams) fresh strawberries
• 3 tablespoons (37 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Ginger-Lime Cream:

• ¼ cup (59 grams) water
• 2 tablespoons (12 grams) minced peeled gingerroot
• 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
• 3/4 cup (174 grams) heavy whipping cream, chilled

Assembly:

• 1 large egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash
• 2/3 cup (47 grams) Panko breadcrumbs
• Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
• Toasted slivered almonds, for garnish

Instructions

Make the crust:

1. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter pieces and toss lightly with a spoon to coat them with flour. Blend the fat and flour with about five 1-second pulses or until the mixture is the texture of coarse meal with some of the butter pieces the size of peas. Sprinkle the water and vinegar over the flour mixture and process continuously until the dough begins to clump together. Do not over-process; the dough should not form a ball on the blade. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and shape it into a thick 4-inch wide disc. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the unwrapped dough on a work surface that has been lightly dusted with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle, lifting and rotating the dough often, while dusting the work surface and dough lightly with flour as necessary. Roll the dough up on the rolling pin and unroll it onto the lined baking sheet. Refrigerate the dough on the sheet while you make the filling.

Make the filling:

3. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375˚F. Wash and hull the strawberries, then slice them in half (or quarters, if large). Place the slices in a medium bowl and toss with the sugar and lemon juice. Set aside to macerate while you make the Ginger-Lime Cream.

Make the Ginger-Lime Cream:

4. In a small saucepan, combine the water, ginger, sugar and lime zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stop stirring; reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for another 5 minutes, until syrupy. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl and refrigerate until completely cool.

5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream at medium-high speed until soft peaks begin to form. Add the ginger-lime syrup and continue to beat until medium-firm peaks form. Transfer the cream to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Assemble and bake the crostata:

6. Brush the egg mixture around 3/4 inch of the outer edge of the chilled dough round. Sprinkle the Panko crumbs in the center of the dough, up to the egg-washed border. Spoon the strawberry filling over the crumbs, reserving the syrup in the bowl. Fold the egg-washed edge of dough over the filling. Brush the dough edge well with the egg wash, then sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake the crostata for 30 to 35 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown around the edges. Cool it on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.

7. Right before serving, brush the strawberry filling with the reserved syrup. Transfer the crostata to a serving plate and cut it into wedges. Serve each wedge with a generous dollop of Ginger-Lime Cream and sprinkle with a few toasted slivered almonds.

Recommended Equipment:

RSVP International Endurance Stainless Steel Oven Spatula, 10″