Best Potato Galette Cooks Illustrated Recipes

CRISPY POTATO GALETTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium. Add oil and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 minute. Remove from heat. Transfer to a large bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons mixture in skillet. Add potatoes, shallots, salt, and pepper; toss to coat.
• Starting in center of skillet, arrange potato and shallot slices in a circular pattern, slightly overlapping slices, until bottom of skillet is covered. Repeat process using remaining potato and shallot. Pour any remaining butter mixture in bowl over potato mixture. Press down firmly in skillet. Place skillet over high heat. Cook, undisturbed, until mixture begins to sizzle, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Bake in preheated oven until potatoes are tender and browned, about 50 minutes. Cool in skillet 20 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter; cut into wedges.

POTATO GALETTES

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes, making sure to keep their round shape, and rinse them under cold water. Using a mandoline, slice one of the potatoes almost paper-thin. (If they are not thin enough, you will have difficulty getting them to adhere to one another; also, do not rinse the slices, as you will remove the starch.) On a work surface, form a circle of overlapping slices about 5 inches in diameter. Continue to make layers of slices, sprinkling them with salt and pepper every couple of layers, until all the slices are used. Make another galette with another potato.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and place 2 small skillets over medium heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons of the clarified butter to each. Using a large spatula, carefully transfer 1 galette to each skillet. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. (Lower the heat if they brown too quickly.) Turn and cook the other side until the potatoes are golden brown and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a small sheet pan lined with paper towels and keep warm in the oven.
• While the first 2 galettes are cooking, prepare the remaining 2 in the same manner. Serve warm.

POTATO GALETTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat clarified butter in a 10 1/2-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat until very hot, but not smoking. Place a sprig of thyme in center of skillet. Arrange potatoes in an overlapping spiral to fill pan (be careful, because the fat may spatter). Season with salt and pepper. Brush the bottom of a medium saute pan with clarified butter, and place over potatoes to weigh them down. Cook until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
• Carefully pour off excess butter, if there is any, and reserve. Turn galette out onto a baking sheet. Place another sprig of thyme in center of skillet. Using two spatulas, carefully return galette to skillet, browned side up. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with saute pan; transfer to oven, and bake until second side is brown and potatoes are cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes more. Remove top saute pan 5 minutes before removing skillet from oven. Carefully slide galette onto cutting board. Cut into wedges, and serve immediately.

CRUSTY POTATO GALETTE

Steps:

• In a small bowl stir together the butter and the oil. In a food processor fitted with a 1-millimeter slicing blade or with a mandoline or similar hand-held slicing device, slice the potatoes thin. Working quickly to prevent the potatoes from discoloring, brush the bottom of a 9-inch cast-iron skillet with some of the butter mixture and cover it with a layer of the potato slices, overlapping them. Brush the potatoes with some of the remaining butter mixture, sprinkle them with some of the rosemary, and season them with salt and pepper. Layer the remaining potatoes with the remaining butter mixture and the rosemary in the same manner.
• Heat the mixture over moderately high heat until it begins to sizzle, transfer the skillet to the middle of a preheated 450°F. oven, and bake the galette for 25 minutes, or until it is golden and the potatoes are tender. Cut the galette into wedges.

KEN'S POTATO GALETTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Slice the potatoes 1/8 inch thick, using a mandoline if you have one, or the slicer attachment of a food processor. In a bowl, toss the slices with the salt, then place them in a colander set over a bowl or the sink to drain for about 30 minutes. (It is important to rid the potatoes of any excess moisture that will make the pastry soggy during baking.) In a bowl, mix the potato slices with the onion, thyme, and butter, and set aside.
• Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Lay the 10 by 8-inch sheet of pastry on a work surface. Spread the potato mixture evenly over the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border all around. (You might think that you have too much potato, but pile it on, as the mixture loses volume during cooking.) Brush the border with egg wash and top with the 11 by 9-inch sheet of pastry, stretching it over the potatoes.
• Crimp the edges with a fork to prevent the pastry sheets from separating. Trim off any excess pastry and generously brush the top with egg wash. Poke a small vent hole in the center of the pastry to ensure an even rise. Crisscross the top with the back of the knife for decoration.
• Bake until golden brown, about 60 minutes. Test the potatoes for doneness by inserting a small paring knife into the galette. If they are done, so is the pastry. If there is any sign of resistance, decrease the oven temperature to 300 degrees F and bake, testing frequently, another 15 minutes.
• To serve, carefully transfer the galette to a large serving platter. Slice horizontally all around to separate the top and bottom crusts. Lift the top crust to expose the potatoes. Spoon creme fraeche evenly over them, reposition the top crust, and serve immediately. Slice the galette at the table.