Gourmet (February 2008)
After an impulse buy of a fresh pineapple from Peapod, we were glad to find a recipe for Pineapple Galette in the most recent Gourmet. The recipe -- though a bit time-consuming due to the making and chilling of the dough -- was relatively simple and pineapple seemed a great way to brighten up our winter cooking.
Having only made dough a handful of times, we were a bit intimidated, but the recipe is very clear and the dough turned out extremely well. At Christmas, we had received a Pampered Chef Pastry Mat, which we were very excited to use here.
We did not have any semolina on hand, which the recipe suggests sprinkling over the dough prior to placing the pineapple, so we substituted all purpose flour, which seemed to work fine. The galette was delicious -- sweet and also a bit salty -- and beautiful. As you can tell in the photos, however, our galette was a much different color than Gourmet's final result, which was golden brown. Regardless, the result was wonderful.
Recipe and additional photos after the jump!
PINEAPPLE GALETTE
Gourmet (February 2008)
Fresh pineapple conjures up images of sunshine, so what better way to cheer up a winter day than with a galette made with golden yellow wedges layered over buttery pastry? Today's pineapples tend to be quite sweet, so just a hint of cinnamon and sugar is all you'll need to bring out their bright flavor.
Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 3/4 hr (includes chilling dough and cooling galette)
Servings: Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
For pastry
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Rounded teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 to 5 tablespoons ice water
For topping
3 tablespoons semolina (sometimes called semolina flour)
1 (4-lb) fresh pineapple (preferably labeled extra-sweet), peeled, quartered, cored, and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon whole milk
Accompaniment: vanilla ice cream
Preparation
Make pastry dough:
Blend together flour, salt, sugar, and butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.
Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. (Don't overwork, or pastry will be tough.)
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to distribute fat. Gather dough together, with a pastry or bench scraper if you have one, and form into a 6-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
Make topping and bake galette:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 15- by 11-inch rectangle and transfer to a large baking sheet. Chill until slightly firm but still flexible, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle semolina evenly over dough, leaving a 1-inch border all around, then arrange pineapple wedges on dough, overlapping them slightly, in 3 lengthwise rows. Brush pineapple with melted butter. Mix together sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over pineapple. Fold border of dough inward over outer edge of pineapple and brush with milk.
Bake galette 30 minutes, then cover loosely with a sheet of foil and bake until filling is bubbling and pastry is golden, 25 to 30 minutes more.
Discard foil and cool galette, uncovered, on baking sheet on a rack 20 minutes, then slide off baking sheet onto rack to cool completely.
Cooks' notes:
• Dough can be chilled up to 1 day.
• Pineapple can be cut into wedges 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealed bag.
• Galette can be made 3 hours ahead and kept, uncovered, at room temperature.
