You’ll have to excuse my recent photo blast of this galette on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
This is seriously the BEST galette I have ever made. The. Best. So good I was greedy and practically ate this entire thing myself; not all in one sitting of course. So, what was the difference? Because I’ve made galettes before.
The difference was the olive oil crust. oh my gawd. This crust. I’ve made galettes before but never with an olive oil crust. Simply Delicious. Now, I’m convinced you cannot just use any ole olive oil. Use the good stuff, please. It will make all the difference in the world.
I recently attended my first ever olive oil tasting session/workshop at IFBC. It was hosted by California Olive Ranch. Think wine tasting but with olive oil: Swirl, sniff, slurp and swallow. No bread. Nothing. Just tasting the olive oil. I seriously learned so much and it was amazing to taste the difference in olive oils.
A few cool things I learned:
- Olive oil is considered Extra Virgin when: there are NO defects in the aroma and flavor profile – meaning: Single “first cold” press, below 85 degrees and it meets both Chemical and Sensory requirements from professional olive oil tasters
- So, what should you look for when purchasing olive oil?
- – Where were the olives grown? COUNTRY OF ORIGIN “Olives sourced from…”
- – How Fresh is the olive oil in the bottle? Look for the HARVEST DATE. Olive oil is a perishable FRUIT JUICE
- – How is the oil cared for since bottled? DARK BOTTLE Protects from harmful light
- – Look for the Seals of Certification: COOC-certified Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Non- GMO, Kosher
I am obsessed with olive oil and cook with it practically everyday. And not just savory stuff. I made these olive oil and thyme mini bundt cakes. Now, these are right up there with chocolate cake, my absolute favorite. Click here to check out this recipe. I’m baking these again on Friday.
Back to the galette. Everything here for me was perfection. From the olive oil pastry dough, where I kept it simple (all you need is good quality/tasting olive oil, flour, salt and water), and just refrigerated it for about 30 minutes.
Rolled it out, as you would any other dough on a lightly floured work surface, and put my filling in. Now, this filling is AMAZING. Check out the recipe for the two magical ingredients. . these ingredients tie the leeks, thyme and mushrooms together.
Then, you fold over the edges, try to create the big folds or creases. I think these make the freeform galette look so rustic and beautiful when baked. Sprinkle on some freshly grated gruyère (oh yes!), and bake.
Since beginning this food blog, I am now always looking for ways to enhance my dish and make it look pretty. When I saw organic micro greens at the grocery store, I knew I had to use them. Before you eat this galette, feel free to drizzle on a little more olive oil and balsamic or just your favorite balsamic dressing if you want to eat it with the greens. But you really don’t need to add anything. Aren’t they pretty?
And you end up with a slice like this. Check out the mushrooms. Oh baby.
Best Ever Leek and Mushroom Galette
Ingredients
For the olive oil crust:
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup very cold water
- 1 egg; slightly beaten for egg wash; to brush on galette right before baking
For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound leeks white and light green parts only, sliced ½ inch thick and washed thoroughly (about 2-3 cups)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme; leaves only
- 3-4 cups mushrooms sliced; I used Cremini
- a splash of balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup freshly grated gruyère
- Micro greens for garnish
Special equipment needed:
- food processor or pastry blender
- rolling pin
- parchment paper or your Silpat
Instructions
For the crust:
- Using your food processor, combine the flour, salt and olive oil and pulse for less than 4-5 seconds. Sprinkle the very cold water over the flour mixture and pulse until the pastry just begins to come together, for about 7-8 seconds; no need to overwork the dough.
- Transfer the olive oil pastry dough to a lightly floured work surface, gather it together to combine everything and form into a ball or mound. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30-40 minutes before rolling out.
For the filling:
- Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. After a minute or 2, add the leeks and thyme, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are tender and beginning to brown, for about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to release their liquid and become soft. When softened, add the balsamic vinegar and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for another 3 minutes and remove from the heat. DRAIN all the liquid and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the crème fraîche and dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. (your filling should not be liquidy; if it is, drain again)
To assemble the galette:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Remove your dough from the refrigerator, roll out on a lightly floured work surface and transfer to a prepared baking sheet. Spoon in the filling in the center of the dough, leaving a 1 1/2 to 2-inch border all around. Gently fold over the pastry border, overlapping the edges as much as possible and gently pressing the folds together. Sprinkle on the freshly grated gruyère over the center of the galette.
- Brush the folded edges of the crust with the beaten egg and turn DOWN the oven to 375 and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the crust has become a lovely golden brown. Let cool for about 20 minutes, and garnish with the fresh micro greens before cutting and serving.
The two surprise ingredients are the crème fraîche and the dijon mustard.
Now, I have tried a lot of olive oils and California Olive Ranch is one of the best I have ever tasted. . . and I believe this makes all the difference in flavor in my recipes. California Olive Ranch is so confident that you’ll love their olive oil that they guarantee their great taste. If you try their olive oil and don’t love it, you simply go to their website and fill out a redemption form. I think this is pretty awesome. Check out their Taste Guarantee landing page for details.
If I could, I would bake this galette for all of you just so you can taste the difference. . but I cannot. So, to make sure you guys get to try this olive oil, I want to encourage you to download their $2 off coupon or enter the giveaway below!
Giveaway!!
(open to residents within the United States only)
Disclosure: I was given the same two bottles of California Olive Ranch olive oil for recipe development. This giveaway is sponsored by California Olive Ranch. As always, all opinions expressed here are 100% my own.
