Brielle's Avalon

I wanted to try a gallette, so I made one. Basically, it’s just a pie without a pie tin. You still make the pie crust but you put it on a sheet pan, fill the middle and fold up the sides to contain the filling. The filling can be savory or sweet, vegetarian or for meat-lovers. Since you don’t use a pie tin/pan for a gallette you now don’t have an excuse to not make pies.

Crust:

Tonight I just winged it with the crust.

2c all purpose flour

6Tbsp butter, but next time I’ll use the whole 8 oz stick

1/4c milk

Filling:

Onions

Mushrooms

Ham, chicken or whatever leftover meat you happen to have.

Spinach

Cheese

Measure the flour into a bowl. Cut the fresh-from-the-fridge butter into slices into the bitter. With a pastry thing cut the butter into the flour until it’s mostly small, sandy lumps. Mix in the milk with a spoon, folding and cutting the milk into the flour until it mostly holds together into a ragged mess. Turn it our onto a clean surface and press it together until it holds in spite of the loose flour, trying not to work it too much (working it too much will make it tough).

Butter a pie tin and press or roll our the dough into a circle as thin and even as you can manage ten spread the caramelized onions and mushrooms in the middle, leaving enough crust at the edge to turn up as side walls. If course these are cold from the fridge because you caramelized them yesterday before you ran out of time to make the gallette yesterday.

Cube up a bunch of ham or other meat you have left over from another meal and layer it on top of the onions and mushrooms.

Take the stems off spinach leaves, tear the big ones down a bit and shingle them over the meat.

Pile on sliced or grated (or both) cheese to your hearts delight. Tonight I used sliced Gouda and shredded mozzarella.

Fold the edges up into sides, folding and pressing them together as you go.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour. You can paint the edges with egg wash (1 beaten egg with a little water or milk added) or butter before baking. Or not. I didn’t. It was fine.

Serve with fruit, crudités or leftover vegetables on your favourite miss-matched plates. Wine, beer, milk or what-have-you is fine to drink with it out f your favourite glass, stemware or mug.