In the late summer and fall, our garden explodes with tomatoes. A couple of years ago, a friend of ours introduced my wife to a tomato galette as a great way to use a bunch of tomatoes and eat a dessert disguised as a brunch. A galette uses a dough very similar to a flaky buttery pie crust and instead of filling the crust with fruit (though there are no shortage of fruit galettes out there), you fill it with cheese and tomato and garlic. It’s a cross between a pizza and an apple pie. Absolutely outstanding. I thought, there’s so much to be done with this, so I got to work on this recipe. It did not disappoint. You’re gonna love it! Try this as an easter brunch to get excited for the coming mushroom season or a romantic autumn dinner filled with the fall harvest.
Ingredients
2 c AP flour
1.5 tsp kosher or sea salt
1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter, cut into bits + 2 tbsp butter for mushrooms
1 tbsp vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1 lb of wild mushrooms (I used a medley of maitake, oysters and chanterelles)
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
¼ c olive oil
8 oz pork belly diced (or bacon or sausage will do)
2 c cheddar cheese, shredded
½ c Parmesan or asiago cheese, finely grated
1 egg beaten
Fresh herbs such as thyme, oregano or rosemary
Step One: Prepare the dough (must be done at least 2 and a half hours in advance)
Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Mix in the butter pieces using a dough cutter and continue to do so until the mixtures resembles a very course dough with visible bits of butter no bigger than a No. 2 pencil eraser. Add vinegar and ¼ c ice water. Continue to mix with dough cutter until shaggy dough begins to form. If you’re having difficulty getting the mixture to come together, add small amounts of ice water at a time until it does so.
Next transfer dough to large open work surface lined with parchment. Gently work the dough with hands until it has no dry spots but still cannot be described as wet. Form into a disc, wrap and chill for at least two hours prior to use.
Step Two: Prepare filling
Heat oil in pan to medium high. Saute mushrooms and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and tsp of herbs of your choice. Add butter and turn heat down to medium. Cook for another minute or two and then set aside in large bowl.
Saute pork belly. Once very crispy, add to mushroom mixture in bowl. Stir together these contents.
Step Three: Ready the Galette!
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove dough from fridge and roll out onto parchment paper on a flat baking sheet. Should have about a 12-14 inch diameter. Put down a layer of cheese leave the outer 2 or 3 inches of crust bare.
Step Four: Fill the Galette!
Top the cheese with mushroom and pork belly mixture. Fold edges of crust over the filling leaving an open center.
Step Five: Finish the Galette!
Brush egg wash over the crust to ensure a nice sheen. Sprinkle any additional herbs over the galette. Also sprinkle remaining nutty asiago or parmesan over the top. Let’s add a pinch of salt as well. I had some leftover cheddar and added that, too.
Step Six: Bake and Serve
Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. Once finished, place into serving dish, cut pieces and serve. I served it for a brunch with a small simple salad of arugula tossed with a lemony vinaigrette. SO GOOD! I hope you think so too!
Pro tip: I think this recipe could be enhanced with a small amount of lemon zest added either to the mushroom mixture or sprinkled over top of the finished galette.
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