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Gooseberry Crostata

Gooseberry Crostata

By OcadoLifePublished on 26 June 2022A delicious Italian-inspired tart, this Gooseberry Crostata, created by chef and cookery teacher Nena Foster, can be made with fresh gooseberries when they’re available in summer, or with tinned gooseberries all year round (just drain the fruit, thicken the syrup with cornflour, and leave out the sugar and apple juice). The tangy gooseberries pair beautifully with the lightly sweetened, creamy ricotta filling and crisp pastry, and the impressive-looking lattice is easy to achieve. We recommend serving with a good dollop of crème fraîche or greek yoghurt.
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Time and servings

1 hr 15 minsTotal time
8Servings
15 minsPrep time
1 hrCooking time

Ingredients

  • 275 g of wholegrain spelt flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 50 g of ground almonds
  • 225 g of golden caster sugar
  • 175 g of unsalted butter, cubed and chilled, plus extra for the tin
  • 2 large of egg yolks
  • 400 g of gooseberries
  • 0.5 lemon, zested
  • 150 ml of cloudy apple juice
  • 1 tsp of cornflour
  • 350 g of ricotta
  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 50 ml of milk of your choice, for brushing
  • 1 tbsp of icing sugar, to serve (optional)
  • 1 tbsp of creme fraiche or greek yoghurt, to serve (optional)
  • 1 tsp of baking powder

Method

  • Step 1

    To make the pastry, combine the spelt flour, almonds, 50g of the sugar, the baking powder and ½ tsp sea salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub together with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Create a well in the centre, add 1 egg yolk and 1tsp cold water, then knead just long enough to form a soft dough. Pop back in the bowl, cover and chill for 30 mins.

  • Step 2

    Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. For the filling, put the gooseberries, lemon zest, apple juice and 100g of the sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer over a medium-low heat for 15 mins or until softened, then mix the cornflour with a splash of water and stir it into the fruit. Simmer for 2-3 mins, until thickened. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

  • Step 3

    Cut off a third of the pastry and set aside. Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll out the larger piece to a circle about 2mm thick and slightly bigger than a 23cm non-stick pie dish.

  • Step 4

    Using a rolling pin, lift the pastry over the dish and lower it into the base, pressing it into the edges; trim any overhang. Prick the base all over, cover with baking paper and baking beans (or uncooked rice) and blind bake for 12-15 mins until the edges begin to colour. Remove; leave to cool.

  • Step 5

    Meanwhile, continue with the filling. In a bowl, whisk the ricotta, vanilla, 1 egg yolk and remaining 75g sugar with a balloon whisk until smooth; set aside.

  • Step 6

    Roll out the reserved pastry to 2mm thick; cut into about 18 x 1cm strips.

  • Step 7

    Scrape the ricotta mixture into the cooled pastry case and top with the gooseberry mixture. Lay half the pastry strips evenly across the top, then the rest at right-angles, to create a lattice effect. Brush with milk; bake for 25-30 mins, until golden. Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar, plus a dollop of crème fraîche or greek yoghurt. The crostata keeps covered in the fridge for 3 days.