Tomato Feta Galette With Prosciutto

18 Sep, 2020 Tomato Feta Galette With Prosciutto Joanne Rappos mains Creamy whipped feta filling, layers of ripe tomatoes & crispy prosciutto wrapped up in a buttery crust tomato pastries, savory galettes

galettes, tomatoes, feta, prosciutto

A creamy feta cheese mixture and a blend of heirloom tomatoes and prosciutto tops a homemade crust in this savoury galette. There is not a tastier combo than tomatoes and cheese. I’m pretty partial to tomatoes and feta and decided to use my favourite creamy feta spread as the base of this tasty galette. The prosciutto gets crispy and is so good with the tomatoes and feta but that being said this galette is just as good without it if you are keeping things vegetarian.

The crust stays well and crispy even though the tomatoes shed a bit of moisture. I don’t worry too much about them sogging up the crust as there is a layer of creamy feta between them and the crust. If this is a concern though there is a way to minimize their release of juices on baking. Salting the tomatoes ahead of time for 10-15 min and letting them release some of their liquid is helpful and then blotting them with paper towels before placing them on the galette. I didn’t find this necessary for this galette but if you are worried about the extra moisture feel free to prep your tomatoes this way. They get wonderfully caramelized with crispy edges when they bake up making this a great way to enjoy the last of summers tomato harvest.

Tomato Feta Galette With Prosciutto

The creamy feta filling is wonderful and easy to make and makes enough to fill the bottom of the galette quite heartily. If you want less of a filling you can reduce it by half and save the rest to slather on toast or anything else you want it on. It’s quite addictive and stores well in the fridge for a couple of days at least in a sealed container. If you didn’t feel up to making the creamy feta but still want a creamy cheesy component to this tart - my recommendation is to use a prepared herbed cream cheese spread or some creamy Boursin.

Tomato Feta Galette With Prosciutto

The same goes for the crust. It’s simple enough to make a homemade one. This one is quite simple to work with. I usually recommend working quickly when rolling it out and if it gets too soft at any point just pop it in the fridge for a few minutes on the pan and all to make it easier to work with. Sometimes I find it easier to roll pastry dough between two sheets of parchment paper, and other times it’s easier without the top sheet of parchment. Try both ways to see what works best for you. Like I said with the cheese filling though - if you prefer using a store bought pie dough to make this galette that is perfectly fine

Tomato Feta Galette With Prosciutto

This savoury galette with juicy tomatoes layered with lots of herbs and creamy cheese filling wrapped up in a crisp, flaky crust is hearty enough to be the centerpiece of a meal, served with a green salad and some wine. It’s also delicious eaten as a snack cold right out the of the fridge like leftover pizza. We loved it drizzled with a briny herby green sauce and heartily recommend it but it’s totally optional. Hope you enjoy!

Recipe

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the Shortcrust Pastry

½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed and very chilled
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs (one for egg wash)
2 tablespoons ice water
Sesame seeds for garnishing pastry edges (optional)

For the Whipped Feta

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled and at room temperature
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 clove of garlic minced
1 tsp of your favourite herb blend

For the Filling

2 heirloom Tomatoes, sliced
1 tbsp Herbs dried of choice (I used Italian blend)
4-5 slices of prosciutto (optional but recommended)

Directions for the pastry

Food processor method

Pulse the flour and salt together. Add the butter and process for 10 continuous seconds, until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Add the egg and process for 5 seconds. Add the ice water and process for 20 seconds. The dough should now start clumping together. Turn the mixture out onto a work surface. The mixture will still be grainy but should hold together when pressed. Using your hands, gather the dough into a ball then flatten into a disk, kneading it as lightly as possible.

Hand method

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour and salt together. Add the butter and the egg, cutting into the flour using a pastry cutter or your hands until the mixture has a pea-like consistency. Drizzle in the water and continue cutting just to combine. Gather the dough into a ball then flatten into a disk, kneading it as lightly as possible.
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes prior to rolling out and up to 3 days. You can also freeze the dough for up to 1 month, wrapped in a plastic wrap and placed in a freezer bag.

For the Whipped Feta

Place crumbled feta, garlic and herb mix into a food processor and pulse until it’s small crumbs.
Next add the cream cheese and puree for 4-5 minutes, scraping down the sides when needed, until feta is super creamy. Will keep in the fridge covered for several days if you wanted to make ahead.

Putting it all together

Unwrap the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and roll it out onto a lightly dusted surface into a 1/3-inch-thick circular shape. Transfer the dough with the parchment onto a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread the creamy feta on the dough in an even layer, leaving a 2-inch border. Layer on the tomatoes then the prosciutto. Season with the dry herbs, flaky salt, and pepper.
Fold the outside border over the fillings. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle edges with sesame seeds if using. Lightly drizzle the tomatoes with oil. Bake until the tomatoes are a little shriveled up and the crust is golden, about 40-50 minutes. Cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. And enjoy garnished with basil and for an extra special topping to drizzle - make my tasty green sauce below.