Aged Cheddar, Smoked Ham, and Apple Galette
Recipe excerpt: Cedar + Salt © DL Acken and Emily Lycopolus
This galette is a delicious combination of sharp aged cheddar, salty ham, and sweet apples. You can sub in any of your favourite cheeses, but I prefer the smooth depth of a good, aged cheddar. Paradise Island Cheeses are a big favourite of mine. Serve this with a green salad for a delicious lunch or topped with a fried egg for a special breakfast treat. —DL Acken
Serves 6–8
Ingredients:
Filling
- 1 Tbsp salted butter
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¾ cups milk
- 2 Tbsp grainy mustard
- 2 cups grated aged cheddar cheese
- 1 cup (1-inch) cubed smoked ham
- 2–3 large baking apples, cored, cut into ¼-inch slices (peel left on)
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper
Pastry
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp thyme leaves
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 5–6 Tbsp cold water
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp milk
Method:
- To make the pastry, place the flour, thyme, and salt in a food processor. Pulse once to combine. Add all the butter and pulse a few more times until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is cut down into pea-sized pieces. Add the cold water, 1 Tbsp at a time, pulsing in between to bring the dough together.
- Dump the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and form it into a disc. Wrap it tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To make the filling, first melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the flour. Stir to combine and cook until the flour begins to brown and has a slightly nutty aroma. While whisking constantly, add the milk and continue to stir until the roux thickens. Remove from the heat and add the grainy mustard. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, place the cheese, ham, apple slices, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss lightly just to combine.
Place the dough on a well-floured work surface and roll it into a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.
Spread the mustard roux over the middle of the pastry, leaving a 2-inch-wide border along the perimeter. Top with the cheese, ham, and apple mixture. Fold the bare edges of the dough in towards the centre to form a rustic crust.
Make an egg wash by beating the egg with the milk. Brush the crust with the egg wash and bake the galette for 25–30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Remove the galette from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes before serving.
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
DL Acken is an award winning food and portrait photographer. Danielle’s holistic understanding of ingredients, preparation, food history, regional wonders and simply what tastes and looks delicious encourages viewers to eat with their eyes. Ever curious about the culture of food, she actively plugs right into the food scene wherever she goes, forming relationships with movers, shakers and innovators across the globe. Her work is frequently cited on “best of” lists and has won many awards, including the prestigious 2020 Gourmand World Cookbook Award.
Emily Lycopolus is a recipe developer, the author of six olive oil-focused cookbooks, a level two olive oil sommelier, the co-founder of eatcreative.ca, a food-driven creative content agency, and the founder of The Olive Oil Critic (oliveoilcritic.com). Her family owns an olive grove in central Italy, where her love of olive oil began. She lives in Victoria, BC.
Reprinted with permission from Cedar and Salt by DL Acken and Emily Lycopolus, 2019 TouchWood Editions. Copyright © 2019 by DL Acken and Emily Lycopolus.