It’s Ash Wednesday, which means there is something I’m not supposed to be eating, but I forget what it is that I’m not supposed to be eating. So, like any good lapsed Catholic, I’ll do it anyway and ask forgiveness later, just as soon as I remember what it was that I wasn’t supposed to do. I’ve got 40 days of this kind of thing ahead of me, I need to pace myself.
I had a large bunch of red grapes in need of a project and so I decided to make a few galettes. There are many galette recipes on the internet but I made this one up as I went…
- 1 large bunch of seedless red grapes, although I prefer to use black grapes. I’ve done this before with the green variety and I will tell you they do not look as appetizing after they have been baked as the red and black grapes do.
- 1/4 cup of sugar, plus more for dusting. You can add even more sugar but keep in mind that grapes are pretty sweet on their own when baked.
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Juice of 1/2 a very small lemon. This is mostly personal preference. I think there exists a fine balance between sweet and tart. A little fresh lemon juice goes a long way.
- 1 egg white
- 1 or more pie crust rounds depending on how many grapes you have. You can use the rolled store-bought kind (not frozen), but do so with caution. Galettes tend to do better with a more sturdy crust which you won’t find pre-made. This works great with all-butter short crusts or cornmeal crusts.
Pre-heat oven to 385.
Wash and pat dry grapes. Be very careful to remove all the little tiny stem-y bits. No one wants to bite into one of those later.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, grapes and lemon juice, toss to coat evenly.
Make crust as per your recipe or take that one you bought from the store out of the fridge. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicon baking mat. Preferably use a sheet with sides as these have a tendency to be juicy and messy when baking.
Place rolled round crust on parchment. Pile the grapes in the center and fold up the edges. I find it’s best not to make these too large or too filled. It’s a lot easier to serve later if they are a small/medium manageable size. I made two galettes, each about 8 inches in diameter which will serve 8.
Brush the outside of the galette with egg white and dust entire thing with sugar.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.
Serve warm or at room temp. For an added sweet kick, drizzle with Saba Balsamic Vinegar!
