Chicken and Root Vegetable Galette

When winter comes around, nothing makes a more comforting pair than chicken and savory/sweet root vegetables like carrots and turnips. Here they are made into a galette, which is a flat open-faced pie with the crust’s edges folded back slightly over the filling. As this cooks, the sugars in the vegetables break down and create a sweet and savory flavor combination that goes well with chicken and fresh herbs. Heaven in a crust! • serves 6

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Galette Dough

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons fresh marjoram, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, frozen
• ⅔ to 1 cup ice water

Chicken and Root Vegetable Filling

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
• 1 turnip, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
• 2 shallots, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1½ teaspoons minced fresh marjoram
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

For the dough, in a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, marjoram, thyme, garlic powder, sugar, cumin, and pepper. Grate the frozen butter over the bowl with the large hole setting of your grater, tossing the butter shards in the flour mixture to coat every 2 minutes or so to avoid ending up with one giant clump of butter.

Begin adding the ice water, 2 tablespoons at a time, while stirring gently. After about ⅔ cup of water, grab a handful of the dough and squeeze. If it generally sticks together when you let go, it is ready. If it completely crumbles apart, it needs a bit more water. Shape the dough into a ball, cover, and keep refrigerated until you’re ready to roll it out, or up to 2 days in advance.

For the filling, toss the chicken with ½ teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Set aside.

Add the cream, carrots, turnip, shallots, garlic, thyme, and marjoram to the pan. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring every minute, for 5 minutes. Add the flour by sprinkling it over the pan and stirring constantly until it is absorbed by the pan drippings and a thick sauce forms. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the chicken to the pan, and toss with the vegetables and remaining 1 teaspoon salt.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 14-inch round that is ¼ inch thick. Empty the filling into the center of the galette dough, spreading it out slightly so that it is circular and there is an approximate 2-inch border all around. Fold the excess dough over the filling, leaving the center area of the filling exposed and uncovered by the dough. Lightly brush the exposed dough with the egg wash. Bake for about 1 hour, until the edges are golden and the vegetables have softened. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.