NuM NuM

This was our appetizer for our fabulous lamb chops. This crostata was pretty savory with a slight hint of tangyness from the goat cheese. The crust however was VERY GOOD. It had hints of sage in every bite and gave a warm earthiness to the dish which made it hearty but light. I could have used a little stronger taste of the cheese but that's my own fault since I only used 4 oz instead of 6oz. I think I'll try the crust with my all time favorite crostata and see how that turns out :)

UPDATE: After eating this the next day, I realized I'm not really a fan of it. Although the flavor is good and I still enjoyed the crust, the sage was a bit overwhelming for me. After doing some research on the Internet, apparently sage imparts a meat "taste" to whatever it's added to so this galette tasted somewhat like a meat pie to me. Lobster still enjoyed it so if you're a fan of meat pie then go for it...me, not so much.

Butternut Squash Galette
Adapted from a recipe in Gourmet magazine, February 2009

For pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon chopped sage leaves or rosemary
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 to 6 tablespoons ice-cold water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
For filling:
1 (2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced crosswise
6 ounces soft mild goat cheese, crumbled and mix with gruyere too if run out of goat cheese

Make dough:
Pulse flour, butter, sage, and sea salt in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle ice water evenly over mixture and pulse until it just forms a ball. (Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.) Gently press dough into a 5-inch disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Make filling while dough chills:
Preheat oven to 425
Toss squash with sea salt and 1 Tbsp oil and arrange in 1 layer in a 17-by 12-inch shallow baking pan. Roast until golden brown on edges and undersides, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove squash from oven and reduce oven temperature to 400°F.
Meanwhile, wash leeks, then cook in remaining 2 tablespoons oil with a pinch of sea salt in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly. Add squash, goat cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and toss gently.

Make galette:
Roll out dough into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Transfer to a baking sheet. Arrange filling in an even layer in center of dough, leaving a 2- to 3-inch border. Fold dough in on itself to cover outer rim of filling, pleating dough as necessary. Brush pastry with beaten egg and bake galette until crust is cooked through and golden on edges, 35 to 45 minutes. (I baked mine for 40 minutes) Cool on baking sheet on a rack 10 minutes before serving.

Cooks’ note: Pastry dough can be chilled up to 1 day. Filling can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.