I made this rustic galette the other day, and it made my taste buds swoon. I'm talking about an unfathomably-flaky pate brisee crust. And sweetly caramelized onions. And pungent, local blue cheese. It's a galette that you can serve at any temperature.
Here's the recipe, first in photographic steps, and then in a copy-and-paste format:
To start, make the pate brisee. The recipe for this fabulous French pastry is described in detail here. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or for up to 3 days.
Can you use store-bought pie crust for this galette? Yes, but your onions and blue cheese won't be happy with your decision. The most popular brand of ready-made crust has the taste and texture of cardboard.
Tip: If you've never made pate brisee, now would be a great time to start. It's an easy pastry. I promise.
While the dough is chilling, let's make the filling:
Peel and halve 3 large onions...
And slice them on the slicing disk of your food processor. This will take you all of 20 seconds.
No food processor for you?
You can slice the onions by hand. Just be sure to use a very sharp knife, and to slice thinly.
Next, tip some butter and oil into a heavy pot, and heat them over a low flame.
Then add the onions, and toss them about with a yellow spatula.
Cover the pot, and let the onions sweat over low heat for exactly 15 minutes.
Now uncover the pot, and -- I hope you're sitting down -- sprinkle the onions with a big, honking tablespoon of sugar.
BUT KEVIN, THAT'S A LOT OF SUGAR!
Calm down there, little Billy. If you use less than 1 tablespoon of sugar the onions won't be sweet enough to contrast the pungency of the blue cheese topping.
And that's the truth, Ruth.
This next step is far less frightening: add 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves.
Raise the heat to "medium," and, stirring from time to time, let the onions cook until they turn walnut-brown. Unfortunately this will take about 40 minutes.
Tip: Caramelize the onions a day or two ahead of time, and then store them in the fridge.
Cool the onions to room temperature. Since the temperature here was only 18°F (on March 23!) this morning, I set the onion pot on my front porch for 15 minutes.
Now take your pate brisee dough, and roll it, on a lightly-floured surface, into a 12-inch-diameter circle.
Then transfer the pastry to a lightly-greased, rimless baking sheet.
No rimless baking sheet in your batterie de cuisine?
Use a rimmed sheet, turned upside down.
I purchased my 16x14-inch rimless subject from Amazon.
Spread the onions evenly onto the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border all around.
Then sprinkle 5 ounces of crumbled, high-quality blue cheese (mine came from a farm in Vermont) over the top of the onions.
Fold the border over the filling...
And pinch the pleats to seal.
Then brush the border with 1 beaten egg...
And wipe up any spilled egg. Otherwise, the galette might stick to the baking sheet.
Bake on the center rack of a preheated 400°F oven until the pate brisee colors, and the cheese bubbles and browns lightly -- about 30 minutes.
Loosen the bottom edge of the galette with a flat, flexible spatula, and then slide it onto a wire rack.
For easy slicing, transfer the galette to a wooden board.
Now pour yourself a glass of Pinot Noir...
Pretend that you are having 3 guests for dinner...
And then dive right into this rustic galette of orgasmic deliciousness.
Need a copy-and-paste version of the above? Your wish is my command:
Caramelized Onion and Vermont Blue Cheese Galette
Kevin Lee Jacobs
Ingredients for 1 10-inch-diameter galette, or 4 servings
Pate brisee dough (recipe here)
3 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced (if possible, use the slicing disk of your food processor)
1 generous tablespoon unsalted butter
1 generous tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
5 ounces crumbled Vermont blue cheese (or use any good quality product)
1 egg, beaten
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch-diameter circle. Transfer to a greased, rimless baking sheet, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Heat the butter and oil over a low flame in a large, heavy pot (such as enameled cast-iron). Add the onions, and give them a toss to coat. Then cover the pot, and let the onions sweat over low heat for exactly 15 minutes.
Uncover the pot, and stir in the sugar and thyme. Raise the heat to "medium," and cook, stirring from time to time, until the onions turn walnut brown. Cool to room-temperature.
Before proceeding, center the oven rack, and preheat the oven to 400°F.
Spread the onions onto the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Top the onions with the crumbled blue cheese. Then fold the border over the filling, making pleats every 2 inches or so. Pinch the pleats to seal.
Bake in the preheated oven until the pastry colors, and the cheese bubbles and browns slightly -- about 30 minutes. Transfer the galette to a wire rack for 5 minutes, then onto a wooden board.
Serve with a salad, and plentiful goblets of Pinot Noir.
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More things to eat:
Carrot-Ginger-Orange Soup
Chive Pesto
Limoncello Cookies
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