I’ll admit I am a late-stage tomato convert. Growing up, I was never a fan of tomatoes, particularly raw ones. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate these magnificent gems, and all of their uses in the kitchen. One of my favorite ways to celebrate the arrival of summer is with this caramelized onion and tomato galette. It’s very easy to make. But between the caramelized onions, roasted tomatoes, and a pastry loaded with black pepper and herbs, it’s packed with flavor. This recipe makes six mini galettes. It’s perfect for your next dinner party al fresco, or summer picnic!
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What is a galette?
A question I often ask from my non-baker friends is “what the heck is a galette?”. It sounds extremely fancy, but is actually quite the opposite. Simply put, a galette is a freeform tart, meaning it does not use a tin or dish to create the shape. It’s a rustic sort of pastry, but its simplicity makes it a favorite of mine for using up anything that’s been lurking in my kitchen a little bit too long. You can make sweet galettes, or savory ones, like in this recipe. There’s no special equipment required, and in my opinion, the more imperfect it looks, the better.
How to caramelize onions
Oh, the humble caramelized onion. So simple, yet so complex and saturated with sweet and savory flavor. The word “caramelize” might sound intimidating, but it’s actually one of the simplest methods of getting flavor into your food. As food heats up on the stove or in the oven, the natural sugars begin to brown. This results in a deliciously nutty flavor, that’s sweet, but in a very grown up way so to speak. And it’s a great way to fancify onions in a pinch.
I recommend using a heavy bottomed pot, such as a dutch oven, as this helps get the proper heat retention you need for good caramelization. It’s going to seem like you have way too much onion in this recipe, but trust me, you do not! Your full-to-the-brim pot of onions will reduce down to a bit more than a cup. The trick to proper caramelization is patience: you need to tend to the onions so they brown, but don’t burn. It takes a while for them to start taking on color, but once they do, you need to keep a watchful eye and stir so that all your hard work doesn’t go up in smoke. It takes about 40-50 minutes to get a really lovely deep color on your onions: I promise that it’s worth it!
Once your onions have cooked down, are beautifully brown and almost creamy in texture, you’re done! Give them a taste before you use them for the galettes: I definitely won’t judge if you sneak a couple spoonfuls of plain caramelized onion 😉
How to make the perfectly imperfect galette
This recipe, like the majority of my pie and tart recipes, calls for a batch of my favorite pie dough, with a few alterations to the recipe. I love to add flavors to my doughs, as I find it’s an easy way to make recipes just a little bit more delicious and special. To the base recipe, you will add 1.5 tablespoons of ground black pepper, 1.5 tablespoons of chopped fresh oregano, and 1.5 tablespoons of summer savory. If you can’t find summer savory, you can replace with a blend of fresh thyme and rosemary.
Galettes are much simpler than tarts and pies to make, but you still need to bear some cardinal rules in mind. Keep the dough cold, and handling to a minimum so that the butter doesn’t leak out. When you roll out the dough, aim for some resemblance to a circle, but it does not need to be perfect. To assemble the galettes, place a few tablespoons of caramelized onion onto the dough circle, leaving about 1/2″-1″ of space around the edge. Layer a few slices of tomato on top, then fold over the edge of the dough and pleat to seal.
To serve, sprinkle the tarts with some flaky salt, fresh herbs, and a little bit of crumbled feta, if you like.
This recipe makes 6 mini galettes, but you can also make two large ones, if you prefer!
How to choose the right tomatoes for these galettes
It might sound silly to say there’s a right and a wrong type of tomato for this tart, and truthfully, you really can’t go wrong. However, I do suggest you pick tomatoes that are on the firmer side, because this will make it much easier for you to slice them. I love to use heirloom tomatoes. because their gorgeous colors and funky shapes make them perfect for simple decoration. You can also use cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, or a mix of whatever beauties you happen to find at your market.
What tools do I need?
The beauty of galettes is that they don’t require any special tools. That said, I do recommend using a heavy bottomed pot, such as a Dutch Oven for caramelizing the onions, and a Mandoline slicer for cutting the tomatoes. My favorite one is from DeBuyer! I use the La Mandoline Kobra, but they have a few different ones that are fantastic.
How to serve and store these galettes
Allow the caramelized onion and tomato galettes to cool before storing. They keep best in the fridge, wrapped well in foil, for up to 5 days. You can enjoy them cold, or bring them to room temperature before eating. They are sturdy little tarts, and pack well for lunch, or for a picnic.
I hope you enjoy this caramelized onion and tomato galettes recipe! Be sure to tag me on instagram so I can see your bakes, and leave me a comment below! Your feedback helps other bakers who are giving this recipe a try, and I love hearing about your bakes!
