Squash Galette

The savoury squash galette not only looks amazing, it is delicious. Wonderful as a starter to a special meal or a comfort mid-week dinner. The Koginut squash is the best choice for a galette. It displays heirloom flavour traits. It’s sweet & nutty with hints of citrus & vanilla. The texture is velvety, smooth & creamy. Grown locally in Norfolk County.

This recipe requires a few uncomplicated steps. Most components can be made days ahead. Keep the galette vegetable centric or change it up a little, add prosciutto or bacon. Scout out the market for Koginut squash, if difficult to find, the perfect substitute is Kuri squash or Hubbard squash.

Ingredients for filling

1 koginut squash
maple syrup
1 leek
2 thyme sprigs
5-8 sage leaves
handful of olives
prosciutto (optional)
2 tsp Fall Spice Blend
St Maure, farmhouse goat’s cheese natural rind (or any other soft goats cheese)

TIP: replace goat cheese with Benedictine Blue from St Benoit-du-lac, Quebec pair this with rosemary to replace the sage

olive oil
1 egg

Ingredients for pastry dough

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chilled butter cut into 1” cubes
4-8 TBSP ice water

Step 1: Preparing the squash

cut off top and bottom of squash
very carefully cut down the centre of the squash
scoop out the seeds
lay the squash flat

cut along the indented ridges

Step 2: Roasting the squash

pre-heat oven to 425°F
place squash wedges on a parchment lined sheet pan
drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, maple syrup
roast 20-30 minutes, the squash should be golden brown around the edges

TIP: pierce with a paring knife, inserts easily when roasted throughout

cool, remove from sheet pan

Step 3: Squash mash

select 5-7 squash wedges and set aside
place remaining wedges into a bowl
mash with a fork
add sage chiffonade
sprinkle with Fall Spice Blend, set aside

Step 4: Sautéing leeks

wash leeks to remove grit, dry & slice thinly
heat oil in skillet, add leeks, season with salt, stir occasionally until tender

TIP: careful not to brown leeks, they impart bitter flavours

add fresh thyme leaves
transfer to a bowl, cool, set aside

Step 5: Slicing goat’s cheese

slice cold cheese medium thickness, set onto parchment paper and place back into refrigerator until ready to use

TIP: Sainte Maure is a buttery, smooth, drier, dense cheese.

Step 6: Sage chiffonade

chiffonade or chop sage last minute to prevent discolouration

TIP: replace sage with rosemary, more thyme or a combination of the three, endless possibilities.

Step 7: Making the dough

pulse the flour & salt in a food processor until combined
add cold butter cubes, one at a time and allow the butter to fall into the flour
pulse 20 times, until the mixture resembles a course meal
with the processor running slowly add 4 TBSP of ice water until the dough holds together
if dough not holding together continue to add small amounts of water
careful not to over process
divide the dough in two, wrap with plastic wrap, refrigerate overnight

TIP: This recipe yields 2 rounds of dough. Freeze the second dough round for the next galette or double up on the filling to make two galettes.

Step 8: Rolling the dough

pre-heat oven to 375 ° F

place chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 10-12” round
transfer the dough to a baking mat or parchment paper

TIP: roll the dough directly on the baking mat or parchment paper

Step 9: Assembling the galette

smear a layer of squash mash on the dough, leave a 2” boarder

place the squash wedges on top of squash mash edging
season with Fall Spice Blend
top with sautéed leek
sprinkle remaining sage leaves
sprinkle with prosciutto (optional)
sprinkle with olives

Step 10: Folding the dough

fold the edge(boarder) over the squash wedges, pleating the dough over to fit firmly
the centre will remain open

Step 10: Baking

brush the outside of the crust with the lightly beaten egg wash (add a pinch of salt)

TIP: the salt helps to liquify the egg

bake galette 25-35 minutes, until golden brown

remove from oven, place goat cheese rounds in galette centre

cool 5 minutes

slide onto serving platter, sprinkle with herbs, cut into wedges & serve