Balsamic Strawberry Galette

Strawberry season in Sunshine-ville is in mid swing as evidenced by $0.97/lb strawberries at the local grocery store. I grew up eating strawberries bought from little farm stands that use to dot the landscape in Happy-ville, so I tend to loath grocery store strawberries. They rarely have much flavor, however at such a good price I figure it would be a good time to try out the recipe for a Balsamic and Honey Strawberry Galette I saw on Pintrest, which hailed from the food blog Honey and Jam. The Honey and Jam blog described this galette in wonderful detail, but I made a few changes. I am a chronic recipe tweaker to the point I don't know if I can follow a recipe word for word!

What you need:
~ Filling ~
1- 1.5 lbs fresh strawberries
2 Tbs honey
4 Tbs Balsamic vinegar
1-2 tsp black pepper (optional)
1-2 tsp cardamom (optional)

~ Crust ~
1/4 lb salted butter
1 1/4 cup flour
~ 2 - 4 Tbs ice water
1-2 tsp black pepper (optional)
1-2 tsp cardamom (optional)

To macerate the strawberries by slicing 1 lb of strawberries and put them in a dish with a lid. Add 4 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar and 2 Tbsp honey. Place lid on the dish and shake to mix the vinegar and honey. Let sit for 1 hour to up to 24 hours (if it is going to be more than an hour then refrigerate the strawberries).

Strawberries macerating in balsamic vinegar and honey

While the strawberries are macerating prep the crust. Sift 1 1/4 cup of flour with the pepper and cardamom. Add the soften butter. With a pastry cutter, two knives or your hands to combine the butter and flour. Once the mixture resembles wet sand start by adding 1 Tbs of water at a time to fully combine.

Flour and butter

The mixture should only just be holding together when you add the water, but most of the butter should be in small pieces.

Butter in flour resembles sand

Add the water and continue to mix. Don't over combine this will result in a tough crust instead of a delicate and flaky crust. Also don't add too much water this will make the crust soggy. The crust should just be holding together but still a little crumbly.

Cold water added to bring it together

Shape into a ball, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Once cold again place the ball of pastry between two sheets of wax paper and roll flat to 1/4 to 1/8 inch thickness. Dust the top with flour.

Once rolled out dust the top with flour

To the strawberry mixture add 1 Tbs flour and 1 Tbs corn starch and mix well.

Flour and cornstarch added to the strawberries

They look so good!

Pile the strawberry mixture in the center of the pastry crust with several inches around the edge. Fold the edges of the pastry up and over using a soft spatula. Paint the exposed pastry with egg wash.

Paint the crust with  an egg wash

Place the gallette in a 350 F pre-heated oven for ~ 45 minutes. The liquid should be bubbling.

Right out of the oven!

Let it rest a little before serving so the liquid can cool and thicken up a little.

I had enough control to take one more picture before I devoured this!

Enjoy!

Recipe:

~ Filling ~
1- 1.5 lbs fresh strawberries
2 Tbs honey
4 Tbs Balsamic vinegar
1-2 tsp black pepper (optional)
1-2 tsp cardamom (optional)

Slice the strawberries. Mix the balsamic vinegar and honey together and then pour over the strawberries. Let the strawberries sit for at least an hour up to 24 hours. Mix the berries occasionally since liquid pools at the bottom of the bowl.

~ Crust ~
1/4 lb salted butter
1 1/4 cup flour
~ 2 - 4 Tbs ice water
1-2 tsp black pepper (optional)
1-2 tsp cardamom (optional)


Soften butter. Using a pastry cutter, two knives or your hands and cut the butter into the flour (and spices if you are adding them). Once the mixture appears like course wet sand add water 1 Tbs at a time until the mixture is coming together but still a little crumbly. Shape into a ball and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll the pastry out between two pieces of wax paper using a rolling pin. Carefully remove the top piece of wax paper and transfer crust to a cookie sheet. I use a baking mat as well, parchment paper works or you can just lightly grease the cookie sheet. Dust the surface lightly with flour.

~ Assemble ~

Add 1 Tbs of flour and 1 Tbs of corn starch (or tapioca) to the strawberries and mix. Pile the strawberries on the pastry crust leaving room to fold the edge of the crust over the fruit. Using a soft spatula and fold the edges up and over the fruit. Brush the exposed pastry with an egg wash. Bake for 45 minutes in a 350 F pre-heated oven. Remove and let set for 10 minutes. Serve by itself for with ice cream.