I love making these savory tarts, especially when the recipe is created in order to use up so many extra ingredients in the fridge.  It’s important to use a very sharp knife for your potato or better yet a mandolin to slice the potato to about 1/8″ thickness so it cooks well. I use my standard vodka crust for this tart which ensures a flaky crust.  I prefer the fresh mozzarella, but you could substitute the gated mozzarella if you prefer.  The san Marzano tomatoes are my favorite pick for this recipe as they have concentrated flavor and less water.  Serve this galette with a green salad for a delicious meal.

Yield 6-8 slices

layered potatoes (I washed potatoes and left skin on)

Ingredients:

crust:

  • 1 1/4 cups flour (I love Bob’s Red Mill Pastry flour)
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, chilled and diced
  • 2 tablespoons ice cold vodka
  • 2 -4 tablespoons ice water
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

for filling:

  • 1/4 cup pesto (favorite prepared or homemade)
  • 2 leeks, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium Yukon gold potato, thinly sliced about 1/8th of an inch thick (you should have about 30 slices or so)
  • 6-8 ounces fresh mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup sliced san Marzano tomatoes
  • kosher salt and pepper

tomato topping:

  • 2 cups chopped san Marzano tomatoes
  • 1 bunch sliced basil (about 1/4 cup)
  • 2 slices cooked bacon, rough chop (optional)
  • olive oil (2 tablespoons approximately)
  • salt and pepper
  • crushed red pepper (optional)
  • 2 ounces fresh mozzarella torn (optional)
  • Basil leaves for garnish

egg wash:

  • egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon milk or cream

Directions:

for crust:

In a food processor, pulse together flour and salt.  Add diced butter and pulse until mixture resembles a very coarse meal.  With motor running, add vodka to crust and then continue to add ice water a tablespoon at a time, until dough collects and develops into a ball.  Shape dough into a disc-like shape and wrap dough in plastic.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

for leeks:

Heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil to medium-low heat in a medium skillet.  Add leeks and season with salt and pepper.  Sauté leeks for about 15 minutes until tender and fragrant, stirring frequently.  They will begin to caramelize and develop a golden color on the edges.  During last 5 minutes of cooking add minced garlic.  Remove from eat and allow to cool slightly before layering onto tart.

assemble tart:

Roll dough out to a 15″ round, on a floured surface (I recommend that you place a piece of parchment paper on the surface which will make it easier to transfer galette to a baking sheet).  It should be about 1/8th of an inch thick and the edges can be a bit rough.  Spread pesto on the bottom of your crust leaving about a 1-1/2 inch border all around.  Next layer leeks on top of pesto in an even layer.  Then place mozzarella on top of leeks, followed by potato slices in a concentric circle, slightly overlapping.  Add about 1/2 cup of fresh tomatoes on top of the potato.  Fold edges of your galette on top of your filling to seal.  Brush edges with egg wash.  Transfer parchment paper to a baking sheet and place the prepared galette in the fridge for about 30 minutes.  Preheat your oven to 425 while you are chilling the galette.

Just before baking, sprinkle galette with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil and bake galette for about 40-45 minutes.  Crust will be golden and potatoes will be cooked and tender.  If crust begins to darken, you can lower temp to 400 after about 30 minutes.

JRemove galette from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.  ust before serving, put fresh tomato-basil mixture on top of tart and crumbled bacon (optional).  I like to add a couple of pieces of fresh mozzarella as well, also optional.  Drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.