Rustic Galettes: Sweet and Savory

One summer in Provence, my friend the singer Todd Murray prepared a rustic fruit galette for us with apricots and berries from our garden. Almost any filling can be used here: raspberries, blackberries, apples, pears, or figs. I have expanded the repertoire to include a savory version, filled with a classic ham-and-spinach combination. There are a few tricks to mastering the perfect galette: The egg white brushed onto the pastry and the crumbled cookies have vital roles in preventing the pastry from becoming soggy from liquid in the topping ingredients that is released during baking. A baking steel or a baking stone can be put to good use here, resulting in a very firm and well-cooked pastry.