Rustic Mushroom & Kale Galette: A savoury meat-free pie for those of us who shy away from making pie

The star of any dinner, lunch or brunch, galettes impress with their flaky crusts and peek-inside centre, yet they are so easy to make. An unfussy dough folded over a simple filling, they are meant to be rustic. Read: no pastry prowess required. This vegetarian mushroom and kale version, with a little cream and cheese, however, is decadent enough to serve to guests.

See how this recipe fits into a five-part vegetarian dinner party menu here!

Rustic Mushroom & Kale Galette

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp butter, divided
• 1 small onion, sliced thinly
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups brown beech or shimeji mushrooms
• 1 bunch dinosaur kale, destemmed and roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ¾ cup gouda, grated
• ½ cup olives
• 3 tbsp heavy cream
• 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• Pinch red chili flakes
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Galette dough:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ tsp white sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 9 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
• 5 tbsp ice water

Preparation

Start by making the dough. In a mixing bowl combine the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar and salt. Whisk to combine. Use a cheese grater to grate the cold butter into the flour. Using the tips of your fingers, work the butter into the flour until all of the butter pieces are coated. Create a well in the centre of the bowl and add 4 tablespoons of ice water. Squeeze the ingredients together until it begins to form a raggedy dough (use the last tablespoon of water if needed). Knead the dough a few times until it all comes together smoothly. Form a ball, flatten the top and bottom and wrap the disk tightly with plastic wrap. Transfer to the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour to firm up.

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Heat a large frying pan over medium-low heat and add two tablespoons of butter and the onions. Saute the onions for 10-12 minutes or until they begin to caramelize. Add the garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper to season. Saute for another 2-3 minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Remove from the frying pan and set aside in a medium bowl. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the mushrooms to the pan. Break them apart and allow them to cook until they begin to brown and release some water. At this point, add 1 tablespoon of butter, and season the mushrooms with a pinch of salt, pepper and red chili flakes. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and add them to the bowl with your sauteed onions and garlic. Lastly, add your kale to the frying pan with 1 tbsp of water. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until the kale becomes bright green and wilted. Season with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Remove from the pan and place in the bowl with the rest of your cooked ingredients.

Lightly flour a clean and dry work surface. Unwrap the disk of dough and lightly flour both the top and bottom. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough by pushing away from you and giving the dough a quarter turn clockwise each time you roll. Roll the dough out until it is about ½ cm. Don’t worry if the dough isn’t a perfect circle or oval, or if there are any tears around the perimeter of the galette dough.

Sprinkle the gouda cheese onto the rolled out pastry dough leaving a 1 ½ - 2-inch border around the perimeter. Slice your olives in half and mix them together with the onion, garlic, mushrooms and kale and pour over top of the cheese. Spread everything out in an even layer. Fold the perimeter of the pastry dough up and over the galette filling — you should still be able to see the galette filling in the middle. Wash the border of the galette with heavy cream and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Carefully transfer the galette to a baking tray and bake in the oven for 30-32 minutes until the dough is crisp and the cheese is melty. Serve on a platter.