Beef and Feta Galette

To make pastry, sift flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add olive oil gradually. Using a knife, combine mixture until crumbly. Pour in water gradually and mix gently to make a soft dough. Form into a ball, wrap in cling film and set aside in fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Heat second measure of oil in a frying-pan and stir onions and garlic over a moderate heat until soft. Add minced beef and oregano. Cook together for 10–15 minutes until it’s all deliciously browned and fragrant. It’s ideal if the beef is crispy in parts. Remove from heat and cool.

Preheat oven to 180 °C.

Roll pastry onto a floured work bench and form a 30- cm circle. Lightly  grease a 25 cm flan tin and place pastry on base, letting it ‘flop’ over the sides. Crumble in feta (or blue cheese if you prefer). Add beef mixture, making sure it’s evenly distributed. Sprinkle over diced sun-dried tomatoes and capers. Fold edges of pastry over to hold in the filling.

Whisk together sour cream and egg, and pour over filling.

Bake for 45 minutes or until pastry is golden.

Serve with a green herb salad and crusty bread.

^{Copyright Notice
An extract from Minced with photography by Alan Gillard. Published by Penguin Group NZ. Copyright © Sue Hamilton and Dana Alexander, 2010. RRP $35.00. Available at all good booksellers nationwide.}