Whether you call it quiche, tart, galette, pizza or pie, these uncomplicated dishes remain some of the most universally appealing. Depending on the setting and time of day, such open face preparations can serve as a first course or an ideal main luncheon dish. Versatility makes them picnic fare as well as late evening snacks.
Spinach is a green that Brion longer enjoys to eat so I have sometimes used Swiss chard in its place. This particular galette uses a nice flour/cornmeal pastry. The chard and Gruyere make an excellent pairing. I love the vast complexity of Gruyere with its fruity tones slowly going towards earthy and nutty flavors. Covered by a natural rind, the texture is dense then matures to flaky and somewhat granular as it ages. No silage ever enters the diet of the cows providing the milk for it. Instead, these Swiss alpine cows, are allowed to roam freely on pastures cushioned between freshwater streams and hillsides. This natural forage is key to imparting the signature flavors of Gruyere.
Today’s galette can be just a meatless version or you can add chicken, bacon, pine-nuts, corn, mushrooms or whatever you prefer. It all works!
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- 6 Tbsp sour cream, yogurt or buttermilk
- 2/3 cup ice water
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup PLUS 2 Tbsp cold, unsalted butter
- 2 tsp butter,
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 tsp whole grain mustard
- 3 strips bacon, diced
- 1 bunch (350 gm post trimming) Red Swiss chard
- 1 small red onion, sliced vertically
- 120 grams (1 medium) Yukon Gold potato, cooked, thinly sliced
- 100 grams (8 medium) fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp EACH dried thyme & parsley
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 170 grams shredded, roasted chicken
- 30 grams (1/4 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
- 100 grams grated Gruyere ( or Comte)
- 1 egg with 1 Tbsp water for egg wash
Ingredients
Cornmeal Galette Dough
Mustard Sauce
Filling
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- In a small bowl, combine sour cream & ice water; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar & salt. Using a pastry blender or finger tips, cut in butter until mixture resembles Both coarse crumbs & small peas. Sprinkle the cold sour cream mixture over dough, 1 Tbsp at a time, tossing with a fork to evenly distribute it. After you have added all the sour cream mixture, dough should be moist enough to stick together when pressed; if not, add additional cold water, 1 tsp at a time. DO NOT overwork dough. Press dough into a disk shape & wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour & continue to cook, whisking constantly for about 2 minutes until golden brown. Add chicken broth & mustard. Continue to simmer, whisking until thick & bubbly. Remove from heat; set aside to cool slightly.
- In a skillet, saute bacon until cooked; remove from pan; set aside. Remove stems from chard leaves; chop to equal 1 cup. Chop leaves to equal 4 cups. Heat bacon drippings in skillet over med-high heat. Reduce heat & add chard stems, mushrooms, garlic & onion to pan; saute 5 minutes. Add chard leaves to pan; saute until chard is wilted & no moisture remains, about 10 minutes. Stir in thyme, parsley, pepper, bacon & shredded chicken. Remove from heat & cool slightly.
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Remove pastry from refrigerator. On a 12 X 16-inch sheet of parchment paper, press out pastry into two rectangles about 9 X 14-inches ( you can make one big one if you prefer). Carefully spread mustard sauce over surface of dough, leaving an inch border all the way around pastry. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; make a layer of cooked, thinly sliced potato then evenly top with filling mixture. Sprinkle divided Gruyere between both galettes & fold edges of dough inward over filling. Brush egg wash over exposed crust.
- Bake until crust has browned & cheese has melted, about 25-30 minutes. Slide the galettes off the parchment onto a cooling rack or cutting board. Slice & serve.
