Seeded pistachio and squash galette

This is another take on the classic nut roast. This buttery chestnut and pistachio galette base sings from the middle of the table with bright grassy greens, deep purple onions, glowing orange squash and lemon zing. Along with the deep butteriness of toasted nuts, this galette has that welcome balance of richness and freshness that everyone is craving come Boxing Day. You can make the base, squash and greens ahead of time and warm them just before serving if you like to be organized.

SERVES 6

FOR THE GALETTE BASE
100g shelled pistachio nuts
100g sunflower or pumpkin seeds
100g vac-packed chestnuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
a small bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SPINACH TOPPING
75g cashew nuts, soaked overnight if you remember
1 ripe avocado, halved and destoned
2 big handfuls of spinach
juice of 1⁄2 a lemon

TO FINISH
1⁄2 a small butternut squash, deseeded and cut into 0.5cm slices
olive oil 1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 red chilli, sliced

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6.

Pop the squash on a baking tray with some salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, until golden. While the squash is roasting you can get on with everything else.

First the galette crust: put the pistachios, sunflower or pumpkin seeds on
a baking tray and roast in the hot oven alongside the squash for 5 minutes. Remove the tray of nuts and seeds (leaving the squash to carry on roasting) and tip them into a food processor with the chestnuts, olive oil, maple syrup, lemon zest, thyme and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Blitz until you have a fine crumbly paste that comes together when you squeeze it. If it is too crumbly, add a touch more oil until it comes together into a solid piece when you scrunch it in your hands.

Lay a sheet of baking paper on your work surface, then tip out the paste and shape it into a circle with your hands. Place another sheet of baking paper on top and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a pizza-sized circle about 0.5cm thick. Put it on a baking tray and take off the top sheet of paper, then prick the dough with a fork and pop it into the oven alongside the squash for 15–20 minutes, until golden around the edges. Take it out and let it cool a little. If the squash is ready before the crust, take it out and set it aside.

Meanwhile, fry the red onion in a little oil with a pinch of salt until deep violet, sweet and just starting to colour (this will take about 10 minutes). Now put all the topping ingredients – soaked cashews, avocado flesh, spinach and lemon juice – into a blender with a good amount of salt and pepper and blitz until you have a smooth, whipped, grass-green paste.

Once the galette base has cooled a little, spread it with the spinach topping and scatter over the red onion, squash and red chilli. I sometimes sprinkle over a bit of feta too.