Leek Galette

A galette is a free-form rustic pie or tart, depending on the crust used, commonly associated with French cuisine. Galettes are great alternatives to traditional pies and tarts as their lack of structure and ease in forming make them beautiful and unique, leaving size, shape and form up to each individual cook. A galette can be made either sweet or savory depending upon preference and can be filled with any number of different ingredients as long as the filling is not too moist, as the crust needs to be able to contain the filling on its own. After discovering leeks are delicious baked on their own with few additional ingredients, I started making leek galettes a few years ago. Leek galettes go well with any number of dishes including butternut squash soup or purée, mashed carrots or smashed new potatoes.

For everyone who requested this recipe.

Crust

1 ¼ c flour

½ c butter

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

¼ - ½ c cold water

Filling

2 leeks, trimmed, halved and chopped into ¼ wide strips

1 tbsp butter

salt and pepper

1 egg, beaten

1. To make filling: heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add leek and sauté until lightly cooked and brilliant green, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set filling aside to cool while making crust.

2. To make crust: thoroughly combine flour, butter, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl or food processor. Slowly add ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, to flour mixture and gently combine until dough begins to form. Being careful not to add too much water or over work dough. Form dough into a ball and place in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Crust may be made and refrigerated up to one day in advance.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove crust from refrigerator and place in between two 18" sections of parchment paper. Roll dough into large circle, between 10-12" in diameter and ¼" thick. Remove parchment paper from crust and place crust on a baking sheet.

4. Mound filling into a circle in the center of crust about 1" thick, leaving a 2" edge. Fold edge of crust around leek filling, gently pressing folded crust around filling. Using a pastry brush, brush crust with egg.

5. Place galette in oven and bake until golden brown, 25-40 minutes. Remove galette and cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

6. Slice galette and serve warm, room temperature or chilled.

Makes one 8-10" galette