Thursday, July 1, 2010

Zucchini and Ricotta Galette


This recipe was far more involved than any other I've made. I had to make the dough, which was incredibly scary, but so rewarding. It was flaky and almost croissant-like, but a little heavier. The filling was delicious, full of flavor, and amazing. I will be making this again and again. We ate most of it for dinner and then we both had some later that evening. It reheated very well and was still as wonderfully delicious. I didn't miss a protein at all with this dish, and I'm excited to try new fillings with it. But I think the zucchini and ricotta will always be my favorite. Don't be intimidated by the amount of work. This one is SO worth it!

Zucchini and Ricotta Galette
*From Smitten Kitchen

For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces and chilled again
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water

For the filling:
1 large or 2 small zucchinis, cut in 1/4 inch rounds
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon slivered basil leaves

For the glaze:
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Make dough: Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle bits of butter in dough and using a pasty blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with the biggest pieces of butter the size of tiny peas. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice, and water and add to the butter-flour mixture. With your hands, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Make filling: Spread the zucchini out over several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and let drain for 30 minutes; gently blot the tops dry with paper towels before using.

In a small bowl, whisk the garlic and olive oil together; set aside. In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon of the garlic-olive oil mixture together and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare galette: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Flour your work surface.

Roll the dough into a 12-inch round.

Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the bottom of the galette dough, leaving a 2-inch border.

Shingle the zucchini on top of the ricotta in concentric circles, starting at the outside edge.

Drizzle the remaining garlic and olive oil mixture evenly over the zucchini. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edges to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush the crust with the yolk glaze.

Bake 40-50 minutes until dough is browned and zucchini is slightly wilted. Remove from oven, sprinkle with basil, and let stand 5 minutes.

Cut into wedges and serve hot.

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