Galettes are always impressive. This rustic treat blends flaky pastry and fruit filling in one tidy package. The beauty of a fresh nectarine galette is rivaled only by the delicate texture and taste of the stone fruits themselves.
Editor’s Tip: Instead of fighting to get the perfect pie crust, purchase a reliable refrigerated one and focus on the natural beauty the fruit offers.
Let’s Talk Nectarines
Yes, they are related to the peach. However, they have a genetic variant that makes them fuzz-less. You can almost always use both stone fruits interchangeably in recipes, so we recommend you get whatever is the freshest when you go shopping. Be sure the fruit you select is ripe yet firm, as you want the slices to hold their shape when cut. Overripe fruit will result in a soggy, fruity mess. (Interested in more nectarine recipes? Check out our favorites!)
How to Make a Nectarine Galette
Ingredients
- 1 refrigerated pie crust
- 2 white nectarines, thinly sliced
- 2 yellow nectarines, thinly sliced
- Lemon juice, from half a lemon
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- 5 ounces almond paste, optional
- Pinch of brown sugar, optional
- Pat of unsalted butter, optional
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat and prep
Preheat the oven to the temperature recommended on your pie crust’s box. On a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper, lay out the pie crust dough. Roll it out a bit to enlarge the size of the crust and thin out the dough. The circle will not remain perfectly round—and that’s okay! This adds to the rustic, homemade quality of the nectarine galette.
Editor’s Tip: At this point, if you are interested in adding a complementary almond flavor, thinly roll out no more than 5 ounces of almond paste on a lightly floured surface. The key is to roll it out until it is almost translucent and place it centered on the pie dough. If the almond paste is too thick, the flavor will overpower the delicate sweetness of the nectarines.
Step 2: Ready the nectarines
Gently mix the nectarines with the honey and lemon juice. Use your hands to integrate the mixture (a utensil could damage the fruit).
Step 3: Design your galette
Begin with the outer circle. Leaving about 2 inches from the outer edge, alternate the white and yellow nectarine slices, slightly overlapping the pieces like fallen dominoes until you complete the circle.
Then, begin the center circle. Start at the center point and pinwheel the slices out. They may not completely overlap as the outer circle slices did, and they may slightly cover the tops of the outer circle slices. The key is to make it look good in your eyes, imperfections and all.
(As you will note from our pictures, some of the yellow stone fruits were a bit too ripe, disintegrating in our hands as we sliced. As a result, the center is made up solely of white peaches with a yellow peach slice on top! Use your artistic freedom to make it your own.)
Step 4: Finishing touches
Now that the nectarines are in place, fold in the pie dough edges. As you bring in the sides, they will naturally pleat over each other, sealing in the fruits and juices. Press on the seams to make sure they stay together as the galette bakes. Brush the folded dough edges with egg wash.
Editor’s Tip: Feel free to sprinkle a little brown sugar over the egg-washed dough. You can also place a pat of butter in the center of the nectarines because, well, butter makes everything taste better! (It will also help the fruit skins get beautiful brown edges as the nectarine galette bakes.)
Step 5: Bake
As mentioned in Step 1, you will want to follow the recommended temperature and bake time on the pie crust’s box. Be sure to check on the galette every 15 minutes during cook time to make sure the crust is turning a golden brown and not burning. When done, slide the parchment paper off of the pan and cool the nectarine galette at room temperature. Cut and serve.
Editor’s Tip: The galette in our pictures was cooked at 350° for about 50 minutes.
Some Final Thoughts
This beautiful nectarine galette is delicious with a cup of coffee, a small scoop of vanilla ice cream (check out Thomas Jefferson’s own recipe) or on its own. The delicate sweetness makes it a hit with the whole family!
After the initial baking of this recipe, feel free to mix it up in the future. Try adding a little chopped rosemary, chopped nuts or experiment with different fruits (stone or otherwise). The options truly are endless!
Chicken Potpie Galette with Cheddar-Thyme Crust
This gorgeous galette takes traditional chicken potpie and gives it a fun open-faced spin. The rich filling and flaky cheddar-flecked crust make it taste so homey. —Elisabeth Larsen, Pleasant Grove, Utah
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The post How to Make a Rustic Nectarine Galette appeared first on Taste of Home.
Jennifer Schwarzkopf