A few weeks ago I came home from the grocery store bearing the biggest bag of plums I’d ever seen. I had no specific intentions for them, no recipe that called for that many plums but I figured that between my husband and I we could make a pretty good dent in the bag. Plus, they were the first plums of the season that I’d seen here in Hawaii and I just couldn’t pass them up. Naturally, the plums all ripened at THE. SAME. EXACT. TIME leaving me with a fruit bowl full of plums that were ready to go. I contemplated using them for a dessert but quickly remember its bikini season and I don’t need extra desserts hangin’ around the house, so I opted for something savory.
Enter the galette. I’ve made plenty of sweet galettes before (its one of my favorite desserts to serve at dinner parties) and had been thinking about making savory galette of some sort for quite some time. And let me tell you, this savory galette does not disappoint. The combination of the sweet plums layered over caramelized onions and topped with a honey balsamic glaze is a serious win. Not only that but the crust is reminiscent of a savory shortbread and is the perfect compliment to the plums and onion mixture.
The recipe is pretty simple to make, the crust can me made well ahead of time (and kept in the freezer) and the onions just need to caramelize in a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Layer the plums and onions atop the dough and fold the edges up. After testing the galette hot out of the oven and again the following day (fresh out of the fridge) I actually prefer the chilled version. I’m petty partial to cold leftovers but I find that the flavors come together so much better the day after.
Savory Plum & Balsamic Galette:
makes 4 individual galettes
Ingredients:
For the Crust
– 3/4 almond meal (pulse raw almonds in a food processor or powerful blender to make almond meal)
– 1 1/4 cups flour (I used a GF flour)
– 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ pieces
– 2 tablespoons raw sugar
– 1 teaspoon black pepper
– 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
– 2 large egg yolks (keep the egg white to brush on the crust)
For the Onions
– 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
– 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
– 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
– pinch of salt and pepper
For the Honey Balsamic Glaze:
– 2 tablespoons honey
– 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Other
– 2 pounds plums, pit removed and thinly sliced
– thyme
Directions:
– Combine almond meal, salt and flour in a food processor. Pulse until mixture is combined. Move mixture to a large bowl.
– Cream the butter and sugar until combined, add egg yolks. Pulse to combine.
– Add dry mixture back into the food processor and blend until it forms a dough.
– Evenly divide the dough into fourths, gather in a ball, flatten to a disk and wrap each disk in plastic.
– Chill for 1 hour. Then let sit at room temperate for 10 minutes.
– Move it to a parchment lined baking sheet and using a rolling pin, roll to a circle, about 1/8 inch thick.
For the Onions
– Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan, add onions and sauté until translucent. About 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and sauté another 5-7 minutes. Add the second tablespoon and sauté about 5 minutes or until all vinegar is absorbed and onions are caramelized.
Balsamic Glaze
– In a small sauce pan, combine the honey and balsamic. Bring to a low boil and let it cook until its reduced by at least half and becomes a syrup. About 10-15 minutes Remove from the heat (it will continue to thicken)
Assemble
– Spoon 1/4 of the onions onto each of the rolled out dough circles. Top each with 1/4 of the sliced plums. Gently fold 1 inch of the edge over the plums. Brush the crust with egg whites and sprinkle with thyme.
– Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until crust is golden.
– Drizzle with honey balsamic glaze and fresh thyme.
Enjoy!
