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| Four varieties of plums go into this galette. The small green Claudias, although not quite ripe, had the most complex flavor--sweet, tart, and floral. The big dark purple plums (a vendor at my local market called them huevo de toro, "bull's balls") were juicy and sweet. The big yellows were juicy but lacking in flavor. The smaller red plums with yellow-green flesh were, to my taste, the best with tangy skin and sweet flesh. |
Seduced by the jewel-like colors, I could not resist buying a bagful of plums. I intended to stage a taste-test to decide which variety I liked best. But instead I combined them all, from the tiny green Claudias to the big red plums in a galette pastry crust.
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| Galette is a free-form pie. This one filled with plums has a crust spiced with aniseeds. |
Galette is a French word for a freeform pie, a rustic tart in which the fruit is heaped in the center of a round of pastry dough which is then folded up over the fruit. You can make a galette with any favorite pie crust dough, with buttery pâte brisée, or storebought pasta quebrada.
My version, made with an olive oil dough, is inspired by those beloved tortas de aceite, crisp olive oil “cookies,” with their subtle flavors of aniseed and sesame.** (A few weeks ago I used the tortas as a base for a quickie dessert—fruit heaped on top of the tortas, topped with whipped cream, and drizzled with caramel sauce.) This pie crust is super fast to mix up, but it does need time to chill before rolling.
**There is a recipe for making tortas de aceite in my new cookbook, FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS.
Plum Galette with Aniseed
Ciruelas en Tarta Rústica con Matalahúga
Use any variety of plum, from eight to twelve depending on size, and more or less sugar, depending on their tartness. The galette is good hot or cold, accompanied by whipped cream, Greek yogurt, or ice cream.
Serves 4-5.
8-12 plums
1 cup all-purpose flour + additional for rolling out dough
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon aniseeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 tablespoons ice water
2 tablespoons almond flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar (optional)
Halve the plums and remove pits.
Combine 1 cup flour, salt, baking powder, aniseeds and sesame in a mixing bowl. Combine the egg yolk, oil and 4 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Whisk to mix them.
Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the yolk-oil-water mixture. Gradually stir the flour into the liquid ingredients to make a soft dough. Add additional water if necessary. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured board and gently knead just to combine the ingredients well. Gather the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl. Cover with a clean cloth. Chill the dough at least 1 hour. (The dough can be prepared a day in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated.)
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| Fold dough up over the fruit. |
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Roll the dough out thinly on a lightly floured work surface to a circle about 14 inches in diameter. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll it onto the baking parchment. Sprinkle it with the almond flour.
Combine the plum halves and cornstarch. Place the plums, skin-side up, in the center of the dough leaving a 1 ½ -inch border around them. Sprinkle the plums with 1 tablespoon of sugar, if using. Fold the border of dough up over the plums, pleating the dough as needed. Sprinkle with remaining sugar if desired.
Bake until the plums are bubbling and the pastry crust is golden, about 40 minutes. Serve hot or cold.
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| Serve galette with a dollop of Greek yogurt. |
More ideas for using plums:
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FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS
The Culinary Legacy of Spain
This new cookbook has menus and recipes for Tapas Party, Brunch, Summer Barbecue, Family Dinners (including vegetarian), Sunday Lunch, Dinner Party, Spring Holiday Meal, and Autumn/Winter Holiday Meal. From your favorite bookseller or click below to order.
This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking.
Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)
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