Crispy Potato Galette
Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links, and, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Please be assured that I only recommend products that I believe in & have personally tried or used. Your support is greatly appreciated!
If you’re feeling meh on this dreary day, these crispy, creamy potatoes are kind of all you need in life today. Golden and roasted on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside, there is just something so comforting and satisfying about, not only, eating but also arranging layers of delicate paper-thin slices of potato in slightly overlapping circles.
If you haven’t noticed, I have a bit of a love affair with galettes (the other recipes will be posted shortly, too). When I studied abroad in Marseille, France during college, I fell hard and deeply for the galette and all of its glorious variations. Galette Complete. Galette de Rois. Galette Bretonne. Galette de Pomme de Terre. No patisserie or cafe in the city got passed me if they served galette.
What is a galette?
The galette has its origin in the Brittany region of France dating back to Norman times – when it was known as a gale – and the term simply refers to a flat crusty cake. Over time (and depending on what part of France you’re in), it’s become a catchall term for a variety of different sweet and savory bakes, all as delicious as each other. The standard and probably most familiar galette sees a circle of short crust pastry topped with a variety of thinly sliced ingredients. The sides of the pastry are then brought up around the filling – either carefully crimped for a fancier finish or simply pinched together for something more rustic – to create an open-faced tart that’s then baked until golden. They can be sweet, often filled with fresh fruit, or savory, featuring seasonal vegetables and plenty of melted cheese. The savory versions, some might say, are the French take on Italian pizza.
But we all know that potatoes are quite possibly the one of the best foods ever, so in the midst of all my galette making, I had to include a Galette de Pomme de Terre (aka potato galette). While super simple, with only 5 ingredients, the layering of potatoes does take some patience and time. Meant to be rustic and almost as if you just threw it together, every galette you make will be different. Don’t worry about how many slices of potato or garlic you get in the pan. I like to tightly overlap the potatoes, but you may have them more loosely layered. It’s impossible to know how many every time, so take it in stride. Also, once you make your first galette, you’ll get a sense of how much of each ingredient you need. After that, you can improvise and switch up some flavorings — make it thinner or thicker whatever your preference, add caramelized shallots or onions, maybe some cheese, or use rosemary instead of thyme — and may not even need a recipe anymore!
One things I am certain of is that once you get a whiff of that heady aroma as the galette bakes, you will feel the process and the reward is totally worth the effort.
RECIPE NOTES:
This galette is an ideal accompaniment to roast chicken, beef tenderloin, juicy duck, or even roast fish.
I used Red Potatoes but Yukon, Russet, Kennebec, etc would all work just fine.
Whether using a mandolin or a knife, don’t worry if you don’t cut perfectly even slices of potato. Ideally we want to go as thin as possible, but these galettes are very forgiving. Just use your scraps to fill in spots and have fun layering.
If you have clarified butter, that is preferable to prevent the potatoes from burning too quickly. However, if you don’t and don’t want to make, no need — regular unsalted butter works just fine.
When I finished layering all of the potatoes, I pressed the entire thing down using my hands. You can alternately bake with a weighted pan pressed on top if you want, but it wasn’t necessary for me.
Don’t be afraid to try out different flavoring variations!
I particularly enjoyed a slice of this the next day, smashed and pan fried, topped with dippy eggs and avocado. Mmmmm.
ENJOY!!
EQUIPMENT:
