Personal Pear, Onion, and Gruyère Galettes Are a Holiday Show Stopper
Danielle Oron is the force behind popular recipe blog I Will Not Eat Oysters and a former Yahoo Food Blogger of the Week. She’s also the chef and owner ofMoo Milk Bar in Toronto, and, most recently, author of the cookbook Modern Israeli Cooking.
All photos by Danielle Oron
By Danielle Oron of I Will Not Eat Oysters
Got a vegetarian coming for dinner this Thanksgiving? In need of a show stopper? If the answer to those questions is “yes,” you need to make these galettes.
Let’s talk about galettes for a second. They’re handmade rustic pies. Mmm, pie. The dough can be made by hand or quickly in a food processor. There is no parbaking involved, nor a fussy, sticky yeast dough to deal with. Plus, all galettes are free form, which means that they don’t need to be perfect. The more misshapen, the more rustic, right? If the dough tears, you just press and squeeze it back together. And you can fill them with an enormous array of different fillings.
This version is filled with deeply caramelized onions, slices of Bosc pear, tons of Gruyère cheese, and a few crumbles of gorgonzola for added bite and some tang. It’s wrapped in a cornmeal crust that is zipped together in the food processor. After baking, for a bit of sweetness and acidity, I drizzle a balsamic glaze over the top. It’s beautiful and delicious.
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Pear & Caramelized Onion Galettes With Gruyère
Makes 2 galettes (10-12 appetizer servings)
For the dough:
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup fine or medium grind yellow cornmeal
½ teaspoon salt
10 tablespoon unsalted butter, cubed and kept cold until needed
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cold water
For the caramelized onions:
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 yellow onions, sliced thinly
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon whole grain mustard
For the galettes:
1 Bosc pear, thinly sliced
1 ½ cups Gruyère cheese, grated
2/3 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves picked
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
Freshly cracked pepper
Balsamic glaze (homemade or store bought)
Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse the flour, cornmeal, and salt until just combined. Add the butter and pulse again until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the water. Pulse until the dough starts to form, about 10 to 15 seconds. The dough should hold together when you pinch it.
Turn the dough out onto the counter and form it into 2 equal-sized discs. Wrap well in plastic wrap and let them rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
Make the caramelized onions: Heat the butter over medium-low heat in a large sauté pan with lid. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir every few minutes.
Uncover and turn the heat up to medium. Continue cooking for about 25 minutes until the onions have turned a dark caramel color. Stir often so the onions don’t stick to the pan. Add the vinegar, sugar, and mustard and cook just a minute more. Remove onions from pan and let cool.
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Make the galettes: Pre-heat the oven to 375˚F. Mix the grated Gruyère cheese and the thyme together. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out each dough disc to a 1/8-inch thick circle. This does not need to be perfect at all. Sprinkle some flour on the dough and rolling pin if you find that the dough sticks.
Transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheet. Fold the circle into quarters, it will be easier to move it to the sheet.
Layer the ingredients on top of the dough, leaving a 2-inch bare border. Start with the caramelized onions, then add the pear slices in a circle on top. Add a little of the gorgonzola, then the Gruyère/thyme mixture, then a bit more gorgonzola. Repeat with the second galette.
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Fold the border, pleating as you go around. If the dough tears, just pinch it back together. At this point, you can cover the galettes with plastic wrap and leave them in the fridge for up to 24 hours until you’re ready to bake them. No need to have them come up to room temperature.
Before baking, brush the border of the galettes with the beaten egg yolk. Season the galettes with a few cracks of fresh pepper. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the inside is bubbly. Cool for at least 10 minutes. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and serve. This will also be delicious at room temperature.
MORE: Gluten-Free Stuffing to Please All Your Guests
More Thanksgiving ideas from Yahoo Food:
Michael Symon’s Turkey Basting Tip
Do This First to Guarantee Your Turkey Is Moist and Delicious
How to Dress Up Store-Bought Thanksgiving Dishes
No-Bake Pumpkin Chiffon Pie from ‘The Year of Cozy’
‘Chorizo’-Spiced Squash Soup to Warm Up With
