I absolutely love savory pies. Anyone else? Oh, sorry this is actually called a galette which is basically a pie with no top in case you were wondering. And if you're a regular reader of my website you definitely already know I'm obsessed with leeks. I'd been craving a chicken pie for a while (not of the "pot pie" variety), and also craving leeks (as usual). So here we are. Let's roll up our sleeves and make a savory chicken and leek galette.
What is a Galette?
Yes, it is essentially a pie with no top. The galette hails from France and is a term used for flat or round cakes with a free-form crust according to Wikipedia. In the U.S. we seem to use galette as a term for a topless pie. I've seen them for years made with fruits like a regular pie and with savory ingredients as well. I like the top part being exposed and think it makes a beautiful presentation. I like the rustic look of the galette and you can make it any shape you want. You could go with a more spread out version for a flatter look. I went with a taller, fatter galette and I thought that worked great too.
Homemade Crust is a Must with this Savory Chicken and Leek Galette
Hi. I know you're busy and don't think you have time to make a pie crust. I'm here to convince you that it's worth your time to do so. It's simple: if you are taking the time to make a pie don't you want it to taste the best it can be? If you do, then you will understand why a store-bought crust simply won't do for this one.
If you are a regular reader of my website (which of course you are) you know I occasionally get on my high horse about pie crust and sandwich bread so here we are. Yes, I understand the merits of an easy, pre-made crust. I've used them myself! With my Mrs. Mann's Steak and Sausage Pie I actually prefer it to the homemade crust option (if you can believe that!).
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Oh boy - this is getting dramatic. When you cook a lot like I do, you start forming opinions. And sometimes those opinions get a little strong. All this is to say that for a savory chicken and leek galette, I simply couldn't imagine anything but a homemade crust.
It's worth noting all you need to make a fantastic butter crust is:
- All purpose flour
- Butter
- Sugar
- Salt
- Cold water
Easy Steps to Make Savory Chicken and Leek Galette
Savory Chicken and Leek Galette
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 portions 1x
Description
Up for making a pie with no top? I've got a fantastic savory chicken and leek galette for you with a great short cut to save on time.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ sticks of salted butter (12 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup really cold water (add a couple ice cubes)
For the filling:
- 1 medium leek, sliced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small rotisserie chicken (remove chicken and skin and chop)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped fine
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped fine
- 1 heaping cup gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1 cup heavy cream
*NOTE: dried herbs are fine here too.
Egg wash:
- 1 beaten egg with a splash of water
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Instructions
For the crust:
- Cut the butter into small cubes.
- Add flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl, then add the butter cubes and toss to coat.
- Mix all the ingredients together until it makes a crumbly texture. I used a pastry cutter here, but using your hands works great too.
- Add cold water and mix until dough forms completely, kneading it with your hands so it all sticks together. I usually put water in a cup with ice cubes to get it real cold. Add a tablespoon of water at a time until the texture feels right. I usually use about 2 ½ tablespoons of water.
- Form the dough into a ball or small disk, wrap in plastic and put in the freezer for about 10 minutes before rolling it out.
For the filling:
- Cut the tip and the dark green part from the leek. You’ll just be using the light green and white part for this. Slice the leek in half lengthwise then cut into ¼” slices. Transfer leeks to a bowl of water to rinse off the dirt. Leeks can be very dirty and it’s important to rinse them in water. Run them through a strainer and hose them with your sink sprayer.
- Remove all the skin from the rotisserie chicken and pull all the meat off. My video shows this well. Chop the chicken into chunks that are around the same size. I used a small chicken for this - the one that's $4.99-$5.99.
- Remove the leaves from the sprigs of thyme and chop into smaller bits. The leaves are already pretty small so this shouldn’t take long.
- Remove about 5-6 leaves from the sage, stack them, roll them and dice them small.
- Shred the gruyere cheese.
- Beat one large egg with a splash of water. You’ll brush this on the dough before cooking the galette.
- Roll the dough out onto the plastic it was wrapped in. I’ve found this is easier than risking the dough sticking to your cutting board.
- Add flour to the top of the dough disk and to your rolling pin as needed throughout the rolling process. Try to roll in different directions so the dough rolls out into a large circle. It won’t be perfect and that is okay. Ultimately you want the dough rolled out to about 13”x13” wide.
- Once the dough is rolled out, flip it onto a parchment-paper lined sheet pan and gently peel of the plastic wrap.
- Toss the leeks with about a tablespoon of olive oil as well as the salt and pepper.
- Transfer the chopped chicken to the rolled-out galette dough and sprinkle a little of the sage and thyme on top of the chicken.
- Save a tablespoon of leeks off to the side. Add the rest of the leeks on top of the chicken with another sprinkle of the sage and thyme.
- Add the shredded gruyere cheese on top of that.
- Start folding the dough over the sides and overlapping with each fold. My video shows this well. If one side is short a little dough, just pull a piece from the other side and patch where needed. Pinch the dough a little as you are folding to hold it together. This is not going to be perfect either and it’s fine. This is a beautiful, rustic pie – don’t worry about perfection!!
- Once all the sides are folded, slowly pour one cup (slightly more if you think it will fit) of heavy cream through the top opening.
- Add the extra tablespoon of leeks to the top of the cheese and a little fresh pepper if you like.
Brush and blot the dough with the egg wash.
Bake the galette in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes until crust is golden brown. Let it cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.
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