roasted leek and white bean galettes.

It isn't very often (I would actually go so far as to say it only happens once in a blue moon) that I set out to make a recipe and actually have all of the ingredients on hand.   Usually a trip to the supermarket is involved or a walk to the bodega at the end of the block.   Usually something is missing and at that moment I begin cursing myself for my inability to plan ahead.

I keep a list in my phone of the never-ending collection of recipes I want to make.  It runs the gamut from semolina gnoochi to rainbow cookies and just about everything in between.  It helps me prioritize my weekend cooking activities and ensures I don't forget all of the absurdly amazing things I come across and think "I have to make this".  This roasted leek and white bean galette recipe made the list the second I finished reading the Smitten Kitchen blog post.  I love food that is both rustic and impossibly French.  

And somehow and someway (by the grace of the food gods?), I realized last weekend that I had everything on hand to make said galettes.  Which I did, about 5 minutes after realizing that.

These galettes are the perfect winter dinner/dinner party main (or side!).  They are impossibly cute (though as Deb notes, you can make 1 large galette) and the flavors are warm and comforting i.e. exactly what you want to eat in the dead of winter (though I'm not sure if we are actually going to have a winter this year?).  White beans and leeks are like the French version of peanut butter and jelly; they just work together.  Especially when paired with grueyere and a slew of black pepper.

Roasted Leek and White Bean Galettes
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

For the Pastry

1 1/4 cups (160 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons (4 ounces or 115 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chill again
1/4 cup (60 grams) plain yogurt or sour cream
2 teaspoons (10 ml) fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup (60 ml) ice water

For the Filling

6 small-to-medium leeks, dark green tops discarded, white and light green parts halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (or 15 ounces of dried beans that you cook yourself)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2/3 cup grated gruyère cheese, divided

Glaze

1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Make dough: Stir the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Sprinkle bits of butter over dough and, using a pastry blender or your fingertips, work it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with the biggest pieces of butter the size of tiny peas. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add this to the butter-flour mixture. With your fingertips or a wooden spoon, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Pat the lumps into a ball. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 2 days.

Meanwhile, prepare filling: Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange leeks cut-side-up in a large (9×13-inch) baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Flip the leeks so that their cut sides face down, add 3 tablespoons of water to the dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes until tender. Uncover and continue roasting the leeks for 10 to 15 minutes, or until caramelized. Leave oven on. Let leeks cool slightly, then chop into segments and place in a large bowl. Toss with beans, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, 1/2 cup grated cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble galettes: Divide dough into 4 pieces. On a floured counter, roll the first piece dough out into a roughly 8-inch round, although it really doesn’t need to be perfectly shaped. Transfer to a large parchment-lined baking sheet; I like to fold my dough gently, without creasing, in quarters then unfold it onto the baking pan. Sprinkle about 1/4 of the prepared filling into the center of the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle with about 1/4 of the remaining cheese. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush crust with egg yolk glaze. Repeat with remaining dough and filling, making 4 small galettes.

Bake the galettes: For 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Or, if you’re planning ahead, let cool completely and refrigerate until needed. Gently rewarm before serving in a low oven.