Mushroom Gorgonzola Galette

If autumn is Pumpkin Spice Season, then the beginning of December undoubtedly marks the start of Christmas Cookie season, a festive sub-season of Winter characterized by baking, decorating, and exchanging cookies. The fruits of these sugar-and-flour dusted labors are probably the most prized part of the holidays: trays and tins of everything from shortbread to iced sugar cookies, peanut butter blossoms to pecan snowballs, chocolate crinkles to jam-filled thumbprints (my top pick: my mom’s Apricot & White Chocolate Biscotti). In short: Christmas Cookies are our treat of choice during the Most-Wonderful-Time-Of-The-Year, especially when enjoyed alongside a mug of hot chocolate in front of a glittering tree. Heck, cookies are even Santa’s chosen fuel for the yearly journey on December 25th.

So why, then, am I sharing a recipe for a Mushroom Gorgonzola Galette?

I’ve already ditched Pumpkin Spice this year in favor of soup season, so perhaps it’s not so surprising I’m kicking off December talking about mushroom galettes instead of gingerbread men. I’ll get to the cookie recipes, I promise, but first: hear me out. Savory pies (or galettes, or crostatas, or tarts – call them as you wish) are the pinnacle of hearty, warming winter fare. They’re infinitely adaptable – ready to welcome whatever vegetables, cheese, herbs, or meat you fancy – and versatile, perfect served in small wedges as a starter at a holiday party or with a salad for a simple dinner. They manage to toe the line between cozy yet fancy, a feat previously thought to have been achieved only by risotto. If you play you’re filling ingredients right, they also make for an excellent vegetarian main at your holiday table, or an inventive side that goes beyond the usual mashed potatoes. I love them, and before I inevitably dive headfirst into a sugar rush — I felt compelled to share the recipe for the latest addition to my Savory Pie Repertoire. I have a feeling it will serve you well this holiday season.

First things first: this mushroom-centric pie is a streamlined version of a Deb Perelman/Smitten Kitchen recipe published all the way back in 2007 (if you have never heard of Smitten Kitchen, educate yourself: I talk all about my favorite blog here). I’ve taken Deb’s excellent recipe and modified it, opting for a simple yellow onion instead of green onions, and basic button mushrooms instead of dried porcini and wild mushrooms. I swapped in olive oil for butter, and gorgonzola for the Stilton Deb recommends. I made my own additions, too: a splash of wine from a nearly empty bottle in my fridge, and some fresh sage from the plant on my terrace. Lastly, the original SK recipe makes for quite a tiny pie, so I also took the liberty of doubling all quantities to make for a much larger, dinner-worthy one. The result? A rich, nearly meaty filling of wine-kissed, herby mushrooms interspersed with tangy, unapologetic gorgonzola, all wrapped snugly in an infinitely flaky, buttery, and golden brown crust. I made this for my Thanksgiving table, and then for dinner, twice in one week, and can all but guarantee you it will be making a few more appearances up until and on Christmas day in my house.

I’ll be back next week with my first cookie recipe of the season (snickerdoodles, anyone?!) but for now: enjoy a little savory before the avalanche of sweet.

A couple of notes: I would highly recommend making the pastry yourself, but if you’re short on time, feel free to use storebought pie crust. I have made this recipe with red wine instead of white, and it compliments the mushrooms and gorgonzola nicely. However if you don’t have any wine on hand, this pie is also great without. If you’re not a fan of gorgonzola, feel free to use another cheese (or cheeses) of your choice; Fontina or taleggio might be nice. Finally, you can add in some crumbled, cooked and drained sausage in here if you want to make this really substantial.

Looking for other savory pies? Click here.

MUSHROOM GORGONZOLA GALETTE

Serves 8. Recipe heavily adapted from www.smittenkitchen.com .

Ingredients for the crust:
2 1/2 cups (325 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (224 grams) unsalted butter, cut into
pieces
1/2 cup (120 grams) full fat plain yogurt
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup ice water

Ingredients for the filling:
Olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 lbs (nearly 1 kg) button mushrooms, brushed clean and sliced
1/2 cup (120mL) white wine
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces (224 grams) gorgonzola, cut into pieces
1 egg beaten, for egg wash

Directions:
1. To make the pastry: In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut it in until the mixture resembles sand. Make another well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice and water and add the mixture to the well. With your fingertips, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Pat the lumps into a ball and knead together on a floured work surface just to form a smooth ball of dough; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

2. To make the filling: heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high, and add the mushrooms to the pan. Sauté until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid they release has completely evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the wine, if using, and let it evaporate completely. Add the sage, rosemary and thyme and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Season the filling with salt (I used 1/2 teaspoon) and lots of black pepper. Let the filling cool completely. Once cool, fish out the garlic cloves. Add the gorgonzola and stir well.

3. Assemble the galette: On a floured work surface, roll out the dough into a large circle. Transfer it a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a round pizza pan (I find that rolling the dough around the rolling pin and then unfurling it is an easy way to do this). Spread the mushroom mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edge to make it fit. Brush the outside of the dough with the beaten egg.

4. Bake the galette in a 400 degree F oven (200 degrees C) until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.