Once described as a “lazy woman’s pie”, let us introduce you to the galette. At first glance, it looks like a regular, if oddly-shaped tart, brimming with a filling that’s barely contained by overlapping sides. But irregularity is the beauty of the galette: the imperfection of it, the idea that it is delicious and messy and everything unfussy. While a regular tart and pie relies on a pan to hold it’s shape, the galette is a free-flowing dessert wild child.
Like any other pie, the secret to a great galette lies in a great crust. You can use your favorite dough recipe, as long as the result is sturdy – anything too flimsy would break under the weight of the fruit and the juices.
Which bring us to the second secret to a great fruit galette, which is, obviously, the fruit. Like with any pie or tart, use whatever fruit is in season – which you’ll likely recognize by overfilled bushels and dropping prices at the market. Peaches and berries in late summer, pears in the fall, apples in the winter. And don’t be afraid of that soft, uber ripe fruit, they’re the best for galette.
The method, if it can be called that, is simple: the fruit is placed over the rolled-out dough, sprinkled with sugar, and any seasoning of your choice, and the overlapping dough folded over the fruit. Take to the oven and voila, you’ve got galette!
We chose an Apple Galette paired with blueberries as our Thanksgiving dessert this year. Not only because it’s super simple to make in a pinch, but also because we like the rustic look of it, which calls to the idea that Thanksgiving is a day to spend with family and loved ones, and not slaving over fancy desserts in the kitchen. If you have kids, this is an easy dish for them to help, since it really consists of rolling out dough and sprinkling sugar on the fruit.
So let’s let our hair down and get messy, and let’s bake a galette! View the linked recipe below for full details.