Ham, Potato, and Cheese Galette
I’ve shared before my love for galette. It is so elegant and pretty without demanding too much work. It is a blank canvas for any creative cooking inspiration. It is hardly ever a dud, thanks to the nearly fail-proof flaky, rich crust that ties it all together. This ham, potato, and cheese variation was intended to be a crowd pleaser (with children particularly in mind), a departure from my usual veggie laden galettes. A classic flavor combo, it was a big hit, no surprise.
ham, potato, & cheese galette
Makes 1 large and hefty galette, enough for 8 massive servings or 10-12 more moderate ones.
Ingredients:
[For the Crust]:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks cold butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cold water*
1 tbs white vinegar (I often sub in ACV for a slightly different flavor profile)
[For the Potato and Ham Filling]:
3 lbs baking potatoes
2 tbs oil
1 to 1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 to 1 lb ham, in bite sized pieces
[For the Cheese Sauce]:
2 tbs butter
2 tbs flour
1 1/2 cup milk
Pinch salt
6 oz of cheese, grated (I used a combo of Monterey Jack and cheddar — but anything that melts well and suits your fancy will do!)
[To Finish]:
I egg, beaten
2 oz cheese
Directions:
[For the Crust]:
Measure the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt and mix.
Add cold butter cubes and mix to coat with flour. Then, using your hands, two knives, or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until most of the butter chunks are pea-sized. A few larger butter chunks is more than fine.
In a liquid measuring cup, measure the cold water, then add the sour cream and vinegar. Mix well.
Add the liquid ingredients to the flour and butter mixture. Stir briefly to mostly moisten the flour. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead briefly until the dough comes together and nearly all the stray flour is incorporated.
Wrap with plastic and keep in the fridge for at least an hour (and up to a day or so, or even longer in the freezer).
[For the Potato and Ham Filling]:
Preheat oven to 400.
Peel the potatoes and cut into bite sized chunks. Spread onto a large baking sheet (but if you have two, use them since they won’t steam or stick as much).
Drizzle oil over potatoes followed by the salt. (If the cheese you are using is on the less salty side like mine, use the full amount.) Using your hands, mix well until the potatoes are thoroughly coated.
Bake for about 20 minutes or so, until easily bitten and not raw but not as soft as butter (they will cook further in the galette later).
Scrape potatoes into a large bowl. If they fall apart a little, that is fine. Add ham to the potatoes and set aside.
[For the Cheese Sauce]:
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium low heat. Once melted, add flour and stir to create a paste. Cook for about a minute. Then slowly add milk, whisking well after each little addition. At first, you should only add very little amounts and pause to whisk in to prevent lumps from forming, but towards the last 1/2 cup or so of milk, you can start to pour in larger amounts.
Once all the milk is added, cook stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens slightly, to the consistency of heavy cream. Turn off heat.
Add grated cheese. Stir until melted and thoroughly mixed.
Pour cheese sauce over potatoes and ham. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
[To Finish]:
Remove dough from fridge. If it was in the freezer, it may need to come to sit at room temp for 20-30 minutes before it is soft enough to roll.
Flour a large surface lightly with flour. Then roll the dough into a large, roughly 20in circle, adding more flour if necessary to keep from sticking.
Gently transfer dough to a large pan. (If you don’t do this now, the weight and heat of the filling will make it nearly impossible later.)
Add potato, ham, and cheese filling to the middle and spread evenly over the crust, leaving a rough 4in border of crust around the edge. Sprinkle the 2oz of grated cheese on top.
Take the crust border and gently fold it over the filling, going around the whole edge of the galette, creating lovely folds.
Brush crust with egg wash. Then bake for 40 minutes, rotating halfway through, until well bronzed on top and bottom. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, then enjoy!
Notes:
My previous galette post uses 1/3 cup of water in the dough. I find that measurement very frustrating with liquids, so opted to use 1/4 cup instead. No notable difference and much more convenient.
Don’t have a large enough circular pan? No worries. Just roll the dough into a large rectangle and bake on a sheet pan instead. Some servings might not get as much crust. Alternatively, divide dough into two and make two smaller circles.
