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Blue cheese and pear galette with chardonnay thyme vinaigrette

SERVES 6-8 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 30 MINS (PLUS RESTING)

From the cheese trolley to main event. Bold, savoury notes paired with refreshing sweetness translate to pastry form.

20 gm unsalted butter
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 brown onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp each caster sugar and thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs to serve
2 tbsp each verjuice and Dijon mustard
100 gm Danish blue cheese
4-5 firm Packham pears, sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten Fresh honeycomb (optional) and toasted, chopped hazelnuts, to serve SHORTCRUST PASTRY
240 gm (1½ cups) plain flour
90 gm unsalted chilled butter, chopped
1 egg CHARDONNAY THYME VINAIGRETTE
60 ml (1/4 cup) each extra-virgin olive oil and chardonnay vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp honey
1 tsp thyme leaves

1 For shortcrust pastry, combine flour, 1 tsp salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add egg and 2 tbsp cold water and pulse until dough just comes together. Transfer to a clean work surface and gently form into one heap, kneading as little as possible. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and rest for 1 hour.

2 On a lightly floured work bench, roll pastry out to a 30cm circle. Transfer to a tray lined with baking paper and chill for 30 minutes.

3 In a frying pan, melt butter and oil over low heat. Add onion, sugar, thyme and verjuice and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion has caramelised. Transfer to a bowl and cool.

4 Preheat oven to 220°C fan-forced.