Grilled cherry & blueberry galette
Grilling the fruit first caramelizes their sugars and burns off excess liquid given off by the fruit. It takes a few extra minutes, but it’s worth the effort.
I really enjoy smoky wood flavors with fruit, so I used my charcoal grill (with real lump charcoal briquettes — not the nasty lighter-fluid-coated coals). Gas grillers can add a small amount of soaked wood chips for the same effect.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound cherries, pitted, stems removed, sliced into quarters (yields about a cup of cherries)
1/2 cup blueberries, lightly mashed (use a fork or potato masher)
1/4 cup sugar (I used raw)
2 tablespoons rum
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 Pâte Brisée recipe (below)
1/2 cup almonds
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (plus extra)
1 egg, lightly beaten
Instructions:
Prepare the grill for direct grilling and preheat to 375°F (if your grill does not have a built in thermometer, a cheapie oven thermometer that sits on the grate will work just fine)
Toss the cherries and blueberries in a bowl with rum, sugar and lemon juice. Line a grill basket with foil and spread out the cherries and blueberries. Grill for 5 or 6 minutes, using a long handled spatula to keep move the berries around and gently turning, until the berries have broken down and their liquids have thickened slightly. Remove from the fire (keep the grill holding a steady temperature of 350-375°F).
Remove the galette dough from refrigerator (see recipe below) and roll out into a 9 or 10″ round. Work quickly to keep the dough as chilled as possible.
Line an 8″ fire-proof pan (cast iron works great here) with the galette dough, letting the excess hang over the pan edges. Sprinkle the almonds and turbinado sugar over the bottom of the dough, then spoon the berries on top.
Fold the dough edges up and over the berries, pressing down on the folds to secure. Brush the edges with the egg wash and sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top.
Place the pan on the grill. Close the lid and open the air vents. Baking on the grill should take about 30 minutes. Check the temperature frequently and adjust the environment to keep the temperature steady (e.g., remove the lid if the fire gets too cold, or close the vents a bit if too hot). The galette is finished when the top is golden brown and the berries are lightly bubbling.
Let cool before serving.
Pâte Brisée
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
1/4 cup ice water (plus extra, just in case)
Instructions:
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar and pulse to mix. Add the butter, and process until the mixture resembles a very coarse meal.
With the machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube. Pulse until the dough begins to clump together in the bowl. Test its readiness by squeezing a small amount of dough together: if it holds, you’re good to go; if it’s crumbly, add more ice water, 1 scant tablespoon at a time.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and and knead once or twice to bring the dough into a cohesive mass. Pat the dough with your fingers and palms to form a disc about 3/4″ thick. Wrap in plastic and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill at least 1 hour.