Wild Thistle Kitchen: Rhubarb Galette

I am proclaiming this rhubarb galette the official galette of springtime. I don’t think anything is more symbolic of spring than the beautiful, slightly mysterious rhubarb plant.

Technically a vegetable, rhubarb is one of the very first crops to pop out of the dirt in the spring. It is wonderfully old-fashioned, delightfully tart and will always remind me of my grandma. And on top of all that, it’s hot pink! How many times do you get to cook with something that is naturally hot pink?

Often, rhubarb is combined with strawberry or other fruits, but for this rhubarb galette I wanted the full, in-your-face rhubarb experience. I enhanced the flavor with vanilla bean and lemon zest, but otherwise I let the delicate, tart flavor of the rhubarb really shine.

I’ve sung the galette’s praises before, and this rhubarb galette is no different. They are just so much easier than pie. (Why is “easy as pie” an expression? Pies really aren’t that easy to make. But galettes are!) And I love the more equal filling-to-crust ratio.

You might remember my pear galette, which is always a big hit in the fall. But it was time for another galette to enter the limelight, just in time for spring and just in time for rhubarb season.

This rhubarb galette will amaze you. It is so simple, with so few ingredients, but it delivers the most balanced flavor experience. The filling is tart and almost creamy and the crust is tender, flaky and so buttery. Top it off with some vanilla bean ice cream and you will not be able to stop eating it!

Making this rhubarb galette could not be easier. Here’s what you’ll need:

• A simple homemade pie crust, recipe below (or feel free to use store-bought)
• Chopped rhubarb
• Sugar
• Flour
• Lemon zest and juice
• Vanilla bean paste
• Butter
• Egg wash

Keep your eyes peeled for rhubarb at your local markets and give this recipe a try. I have a few other rhubarb recipes coming, so — if you love rhubarb as much as I do — be sure to check back soon.

xo — Anita

Photo by Anita Parris Soule. Courtesy Wild Thistle Kitchen.

Rhubarb Galette

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 1 galette

Ingredients

For the crust:

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

1 stick butter (8 tablespoons), very cold and diced into small cubes

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon vodka mixed with 4 tablespoons water, very cold (I learned the vodka trick from America’s Test Kitchen a long, long time ago, and it really makes a difference — however, you can leave it out and just use water)

For the filling:

3 cups chopped, fresh rhubarb (usually about 6 or 7 stalks)

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Zest and juice from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste

1 tablespoon butter, diced into small pieces

For the egg wash:

1 egg mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Sugar for sprinkling edges

Photo by Anita Parris Soule. Courtesy Wild Thistle Kitchen.

Instructions

Make the crust first, as follows. Place dry ingredients in food processor and pulse to mix. Add cubed butter and pulse about 12 times until the butter and shortening are mixed throughout. Slowly pour the water/vodka mixture through the lid while pulsing, until the dough begins to clump. Give it one more good, long pulse until you see it starting to form a ball.

Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap or parchment and press together to form a flat, round disc. Chill disc for 20 to 30 minutes.

While it chills, prepare your filling and preheat oven to 400 degrees with a pizza stone, a baking steel or a large cookie sheet.

To prepare filling, place all filling ingredients except butter in a bowl and mix well to combine.

After chilling, roll dough out on a floured surface (I like to do it on the parchment that I’ll bake it on later) until you have about a 12-inch circle with a thickness of about ¼ inch. The edges don’t have to be perfect. Just make sure to keep moving the dough and adding flour while rolling to keep it from sticking (you don’t have to worry too much about this if you’re rolling it on parchment).

Place rolled-out dough in refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before adding filling.

Place rhubarb and all the “goo” of the filling in the center of your rolled-out crust, leaving a 1-inch border. Trim any very uneven edges (if desired) and fold edges of dough over the filling, folding and crimping as you go. Brush edges and folds with egg wash and sprinkle with a light dusting of granulated sugar. Dot the top of the rhubarb filling with butter and slide into the oven, either on a preheated pizza stone, a baking steel or a preheated sheet tray.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Let cool for 20 minutes and serve slightly warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

• If you do this on an unrimmed baking sheet, place some foil beneath the oven rack just in case you have any spills.
• Feel free to use a store-bought pie crust if you want to make this even easier.

tagsAnita Parris Souledessertsgaletterhubarbspring recipesvanilla bean ice creamWild Thistle Kitchen