Mushroom Galette

My jaw dropped when my sister Sheryl reported that on a trip to the cottage last fall, she and her grown sons Kyle and Michael went foraging for wild mushrooms. “Weren’t you worried about accidentally picking a poison mushroom and dying?” I asked casually. The image in The Story of Babar of the old King of the Elephants eating a toxic mushroom, turning a sickly shade of green, and perishing, remains firmly imprinted in my mind. My sister dismissed my concerns. They had consulted a mushroom foraging app and Kyle bravely sampled their harvest the night before they cooked them. 

Mushroom Galette

You’ll be relieved to know that this recipe for a mushroom galette, by Dorie Greenspan, published in her outstanding cookbook Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook, uses a combination of white, cremini and wild mushrooms, but thankfully you won’t have to search further than your local supermarket for them. Cremini mushrooms, also known as baby bella mushrooms, are closely related to common white mushrooms, but they have a darker hue and a rich, nutty flavor. When cremini mushrooms are fully mature they are called portobellos. Whatever selection of mushrooms you choose, this rustic, savory galette is a wonderful main course or side dish that can be prepared in advance and baked before serving. Bon appétit!

Assemble your ingredients.

To make the crust: Using a food processor with the metal blade, add the flour, sugar and salt to the bowl and pulse a couple of times to blend. Scatter the margarine over the dry ingredients and pulse until the margarine is cut into the flour. The mixture will look like coarse meal. Add the cold water slowly and continue to pulse until all the water is added. The dough will start to clump around the metal blade. Turn the dough out onto your work surface and push the clumps of dough together to make a ball.

Flatten the dough into a disk and place it between two pieces of parchment paper. Roll the dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Don’t worry if the size of the circle isn’t exact or the edges are a bit ragged. Leave the rolled out dough between the two sheets of parchment paper, slide it onto a baking pan and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours. The dough can also be frozen for 1 hour.

For the filling: Place 5 slices of beef-fry or diced pastrami or diced salami in a skillet and cook over medium heat until the meat is crispy and golden. Transfer the beef-fry or other meats to a plate lined with paper towel. When the beef-fry is cool, chop it into one-inch pieces. Pour off all the oil in the frying pan except for one tablespoon.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the frying pan and return the pan to medium heat. Add the mushrooms, leeks or onion, and garlic to the skillet. Season with salt and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened. Add the white wine and cook until it evaporates, about a minute or two. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the beef-fry or other cooked meat. Season with pepper. You can make the filling ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake the galette.

To assemble the galette: Place a baking rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 F. Remove the baking pan with the dough from the refrigerator or freezer. If the dough has been frozen leave it on the counter for 15 minutes while the oven preheats. Peel off the top piece of parchment paper leaving the dough on the bottom piece of parchment paper and keep it on the baking pan. Scrape the filling onto the dough and spread it into a circle, about 9 inches in diameter. You will have a border of plain dough measuring about two inches wide. Using the parchment paper to help you, lift the bare border of dough and fold it over the filling, pleating as you go along. (If you prefer, you can place the filled galette back in the refrigerator for a few hours and bake it straight from the refrigerator when you’re ready.)

Bake the galette for 30 to 35 minutes until the crust is golden. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack. Allow the galette to cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Enjoy the galette warm or at room temperature.

Print Recipe

Mushroom Galette

Vegetables and Sides

By Dorie Greenspan, Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook, adapted slightly by me – Serves: 6

Prep Time: 45 minutes – Cooking Time: 30 minutes – Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

A rustic, savory galette filled with sautéed mushrooms, leeks and beef-fry.

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 stick cold unsalted margarine, cut into 16 pieces
• 1/4 cup cold water
• Filling:
• 5 slices beef-fry (5 ounces/125 g.), OR, 5 ounces diced pastrami, OR, 5 ounces diced salami
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, such as white, cremini, wild, or a mix, trimmed and coarsely chopped
• 2 leeks, white and light-green parts only, split, washed, and thinly sliced (or 1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, thinly sliced)
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped or microplaned
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons dry white wine

Instructions

To make the crust:

1

Using a food processor with the metal blade, add the flour, sugar and salt to the bowl and pulse a couple of times to blend. Scatter the margarine over the dry ingredients and pulse until the margarine is cut into the flour. The mixture will look like coarse meal. Add the cold water slowly and continue to pulse until all the water is added. The dough will start to clump around the metal blade. Turn the dough out onto your work surface and push the clumps of dough together to make a ball.

2

Flatten the dough into a disk and place it between two pieces of parchment paper. Roll the dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Don't worry if the size of the circle isn't exact or the edges are a bit ragged. Leave the rolled-out dough between the two sheets of parchment paper, slide it onto a baking pan and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours. The dough can also be frozen for 1 hour.

For the filling:

3

Place 5 slices of beef-fry or cubed pastrami or cubed salami in a skillet and cook over medium heat until the meat is crispy and golden. Transfer the beef-fry or other meats to a plate lined with paper towel. When the beef-fry is cool, chop it into one-inch pieces. Pour off all the oil in the frying pan except for one tablespoon.

4

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the frying pan and return the pan to medium heat. Add the mushrooms, leeks or onion, and garlic to the skillet. Season with salt and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened. Add the white wine and cook until it evaporates, about a minute or two. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the beef-fry or other cooked meat. Season with pepper. Taste for salt. You can make the filling ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake the galette.

To assemble the galette:

5

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Remove the baking pan with the dough from the refrigerator or freezer. If the dough has been frozen leave it on the counter for 15 minutes while the oven preheats. Peel off the top piece of parchment paper leaving the dough on the bottom piece of parchment paper and keep it on the baking pan. Scrape the filling onto the dough and spread it into a circle, about 9 inches in diameter. You will have a border of plain dough measuring about two inches wide. Using the parchment paper to help you, lift the bare border of dough and fold it over the filling, pleating as you go along. (If you prefer, you can place the filled galette back in the refrigerator for a few hours and bake it straight from the refrigerator when you're ready.)

6

Bake the galette on the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the crust is golden. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack. Allow the galette to cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

This galette can be made without the meat for a vegetarian meal. The galette reheats beautifully on a warming tray or can be served at room temperature. The crust can be made ahead, wrapped well and frozen for up to 2 months.