As someone who loves pie but doesn’t love pie-baking, I’m obsessed with the galette. It’s one crust to roll out, it doesn’t take as long to bake, and it’s completely unfussy. So my dough’s not perfectly round. So my filling reduced too much and I can’t fill the pie dish. None of these issues matter when you’re making a free-form, rustic galette. The more asymmetrical or patchy, the more endearingly rustic it is.
This recipe is much more of a weekend cooking project than most of the recipes I publish (it takes a good two hours), but it’s totally worth it. Especially if you have a stupid amount of zucchini you don’t know what to do with, as many do at this time of year. It’s also a real celebration of your herb garden if you have one. Zucchini loves herbs, and I think you’ll find that it loves all three of the herbs in here (chives, thyme, and mint) equally. Each contributes a little something different that keeps this dish a little surprising. That said, any of these herbs can be left out if you don’t like them or you don’t have them.
I’ve seen a lot of zucchini tarts that call for layering perfectly sliced zucchini in concentric circles. I don’t have time for that. Also it’s much more important to me to cook the zucchini down as much as possible so it gets all jammy and flavorful – kind of like caramelized onions.
Giving credit where it’s due, this dough is adapted from Erin Jeanne McDowell’s Rough Puff Pastry in The Book on Pie, and the zucchini filling is inspired by Jamie Oliver’s Lincolnshire Poacher Pie in Jamie Oliver’s Great Britain: Two beautiful cookbooks that I am proud to recommend.
A NOTE ABOUT BUTTER: I use salted butter in all my baking, a) because I don’t do a ton of baking and salted butter is the butter I buy, and b) I like my baked goods on the salty side anyway. Feel free to use unsalted butter if that’s what you prefer or that’s what you have on hand; but if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to add an extra 1/4 tsp of salt.
EQUIPMENT: Medium Bowl, Mandolin (recommended but not required), Rolling Pin, Large Sauté Pan, Baking Sheet, Parchment Paper, Box Grater, Zester, Pastry Brush
Zucchini Galette with Cheddar Chive Crust
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 4 oz Butter
- 1/4 cup Ice Water
- 4 oz Cheddar Cheese, shredded (divided)
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 1/2 lbs Zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh Chives, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh Thyme, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh Mint, roughly chopped
- Zest from 1 Lemon
- 1/2 tbsp Sugar
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- 1 Egg, for brushing
Directions
- Step 1 To make your pastry crust, mix the flour and 1/2 tsp of salt in a large bowl. Slice the butter into 1/2 inch cubes and toss with the flour/salt mixture. “Cut” the butter into the flour by pinching/squeezing each cube between your fingers so they start to look more like shingles than cubes. As you do this, the shingles will break into smaller shingles and the butter and the flour will become more and more incorporated. Add half of the cheddar cheese (2 oz) and the chives and toss until well-distributed.
- Step 2 Still using your fingers, gradually mix in the ice water, a little at a time, until it forms a dough that you can roll into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Step 3 While your dough is chilling, thinly slice your zucchini (I use the setting just below 1/8 inch on my mandolin), and heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium low to medium heat.
- Step 4 Add the zucchini, chopped thyme, lemon zest, and generously season with salt and pepper. Cook down until the zucchini has reduced by about half (approx. 15 minutes) and sprinkle it with 1/2 tbsp of sugar. Toss to distribute evenly, and continue to cook until the zucchini has a soft and jammy appearance (kind of like caramelized onions), 5 to 10 minutes more. Turn off the heat, toss in the chopped mint leaves, and leave alone while you return to your dough.
- Step 5 Roll out the dough until 1/2 inch thick, then fold into quarters. Roll out a second time, and fold into quarters again. Tuck the corners in so it resembles a disc shape again, re-wrap, and return to the fridge for another 30 minutes.
- Step 6 Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out your dough again, this time to about a 1/4 inch thickness, and carefully transfer to your baking sheet. Using a knife or a scissors, trim the edges of the pastry so it’s a roughly even circle. NOTE: This is purely aesthetic, so you can skip this step if you want. If you do trim some off, don’t let it go to waste! Cut the dough scraps into bite size pieces and throw onto the baking sheet with the galette. When it comes out of the oven, you’ll have some yummy crackers to snack on!
- Step 7 Leaving about a 2 inch perimeter, sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese onto the dough, then pile on your zucchini. Fold over the sides of the dough to create the outside crust. TIP: Remember a galette is supposed to look rustic! Don’t stress about symmetry. Brush the pastry with egg, and bake for 40-45 minutes until the crust is golden, and the zucchini is just starting to brown on the top.
- Step 8 Transfer for a board or platter and let cool for at least 15 minutes. This is best served warm to room temperature.
SUB LIST
| Chives, Thyme, Mint | You could leave any one of these out, although I wouldn’t recommend leaving out all three. |
I’m going to try this with gluten free flour. Fingers crossed! Usually galettes with GF flour fall to pieces, but I’m going for it anyway.
Can’t wait to hear how it turns out!