Freeform galette with potatoes and caramelised leek

This potato and leek galette comes from Noora Heiska, 2023 Young Chef of the Year finalist. This recipe packs a flavour punch by caramelising leeks for the filling in rendered guanciale fat.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  6

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 60 g Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated
• 1 whisked egg

For the pastry

• 150 g plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp finely chopped sage leaves
• 1 tbsp finely chopped thyme leaves
• 100 g butter, chilled, diced
• 100 g sour cream

For the filling

• 200 g kipfler potatoes, thinly sliced
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp finely chopped sage leaves
• 2 tsp finely chopped thyme leaves
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 100 g guanciale, finely chopped
• 1 leek, halved and cut into 4 cm lengths
• 2 tsp sugar

Chilling time: 30 minutes

Instructions

1. To make the pastry, in a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and herbs. Mix well to combine. Rub in the chilled butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add the sour cream and quickly mix to form a thick dough. Roll into a ball and then wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
   
2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling for the galette. Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Line a baking tray with baking paper and combine the potatoes with a generous pinch of salt, pepper and the herbs. Drizzle generously with olive oil and toss to coat, then bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are just cooked and tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
   
3. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat, then add the guanciale. Cook until crispy, then remove the guanciale to a plate, reserving the rendered fat in the pan. Return the pan to the heat with the leeks. Sprinkle with the sugar and a generous pinch of salt. Caramelise the leeks and flip, taking care to retain their shape. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.
   
4. When ready to bake, increase the oven temperature to 200˚C. Roll out the pastry to a large rectangle, approximately 4 mm thick. Transfer the rolled pastry directly to a large baking tray lined with baking paper.
   
5. Sprinkle some grated cheese in the centre of the pastry, leaving about 5 cm of room for the edges. Top with the potato and leek. Sprinkle more cheese on top. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg, then fold the edges over towards the centre of the tart. Brush the folded edges again with the beaten egg, then bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the base of the pastry is cooked and the galette is golden brown.
   
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. To serve, place the kipfler and caramelised leek galette onto a large serving platter and sprinkle with the crispy guanciale. Cut into squares to serve.
   

Note

• Guanciale can be replaced with pancetta in this recipe.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

Want more from The Cook Up? Stream all the seasons here and for free at SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.