Galette: A traditional French flat round cake made of pastry or bread. It may sound like a stuffy, obscure pastry, but not only are they delicious, they are also deceptively simple to make. A galette is a wonderful technique to have in your back pocket. It is, in its most basic form, a humble, free-form tart or pie. The beauty of it is in its rustic imperfections. And best of all, it doesn’t require any special equipment. Just your baking pan or cookie sheet will do!
Anyways, fast forward to last weekend, when I had a hankering for french pastry. Though when we think of pastries, we often immediately think of sweet treats, I was in the mood for something savory. A delicate, fluffy quiche could have done the trick, or even creamy, hearty pot pie, but I wanted something that sat in the middle of those two. Something with weight, but that wouldn’t weigh heavily in your stomach after eating. Something with millions of options for fillings, and a show stopping visage. A galette was simply the perfect choice. While trying to figure out what I wanted to stuff it with, a memory of a dish I had made previously came to mind.
A number of years ago I came across a sublime appetizer recipe that used a puff pastry to form asparagus and shiitake mushroom tartlets. Now my younger sister who (at the time) hated vegetables was not very excited about these tarts until she tasted the filling. Smooth créme fraîche and delicately mild gruyere had her changing her tune. That creamy-goodness married perfectly with the earthy flavors of the mushroom and asparagus, and when paired with a store bought puff pastry it created a flaky and tasty start to any meal. By the way, never let anyone ever shame you out of using store bought puff. I went to pastry and culinary school and I still whip out a package of good old store bought every now and then for convenience's sake. And that was that. Cue Galette à l'Asperges et Champignons.
The first thing to do was to make my pâte brisée. Any good pastry or pie dough will work, but keep in mind that since you are folding the edges over, steering away from something super short is best. If you have a standard dough recipe that you always use, now’s the time to break it out.
Since I was having people for dinner, I wanted to make individuals, as opposed to a single large galette. So after making my dough, I split it into 4, formed them into small flat discs, wrapped them individually and let them chill while I made my filling.
For the filling, sliced shiitake mushrooms were sautéed in butter (because butter and mushrooms are a golden combo) and then mixed with raw, sliced asparagus spears. Do NOT cook them. They need to go in raw because they are going to cook in the oven. Finally, mix with shredded gruyere cheese, créme fraîche, fresh thyme, some lemon juice and zest and you’re done!
After rolling your dough into rounds, be it personal sized or a single large portion, mound the filling in the center of your dough, being sure to leave a 1.5 - 2” border of dough. Unlike a traditional pie where you line your pie tin with crust and then add your filling, galettes are free-form and hand-pleated. Begin by taking one side of your dough and pulling up over the filling. Then continue this motion around the entire galette ensuring that each piece slightly overlaps the previous, thus forming a pleat. I should stress that these do not in any way need to be perfect and when you take it out of the oven, I promise you it will look beautiful no matter how skilled a pleater you are. You should have formed a crust that still allows your filling to show through. Egg wash your crust so it will finish nice and shiny, then bake in a 375°F oven until golden brown! The final result is a flaky, buttery, earthy, bright pastry that will not disappoint and will have your guests wondering how long you slaved in kitchen to bring them such a treat.
Lagniappe of the Day: When working with Shiitake mushrooms, always be sure to remove the stems. They are too tough to be eaten. Simply slice them off at the base of the cap, and you are on your way!
