Sweetie Loves Mushrooms

 It's mushroom season. We actually found a few poisonous red capped mushrooms under our oak tree last week. Pretty to look at, but that's it. Let's do a recipe that uses mushrooms from the market. If you are lucky enough to have wild mushrooms that you can trust, use them for half the mushroom mixture in this Mushroom and Stilton Galette.

I often am inspired by recipes that I find online, as I suspect you might be. Today's recipe is a variation on one posted by Smitten Kitchen and she got it from the Williams-Sonoma Season Celebration Series - Autumn. As usual I made quite a few changes because this mushroom galette was going to be dinner (so I added cubed cooked chicken - a great way to use up leftovers), I put a layer of sour cream at the bottom for extra richness and creamy mouthfeel...plus a sprinkle of garlic salt to season the sour cream. The original recipe had green onions and I only had yellow onions (so I switched in a half of a large onion, peeled and chopped). No wild mushrooms available, so I used a full pound of fairly large crimini mushrooms...and it worked well. Last, but not least, I added a tablespoon of brandy to the pan once the mushroom filling was cooked. The pan was hot enough that the alcohol pretty much cooked off as the brandy helped deglaze the pan. The flavor went so well with the mushrooms and the pungent blue cheese.

I have a bunch of photos to show you how I put this together. It makes a tall gallette the way I did it, but if you want yours to be shorter and wider (perhaps to feed more people?), just put the fillings further out, away from the center, when you add the fillings.

Don't usually use pre packaged pie dough? Check out the bottom photo to see how flaky it is. It's delicious, too, so no reason to not use it if you have it around. Only you will know that it isn't made from scratch.

Mushroom and Stilton Galette

·      Servings: 6

·       Time: 1 hour plus rest time 

·      Based on: Williams-Sonoma Seasonal Celebration Series, Autumn

·         1 pre-made pie dough round (I use Pillsbury Crusts), at room temperature

·         1/4 ounce dried wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, porcini or shiitakes

• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 pound assorted fresh wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, porcini and shiitakes, brushed clean and large mushrooms thinly sliced (or another 1/2 pound crimini)
• 1/2 pound fresh crimini mushrooms, brushed clean

and thinly sliced

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• sprinkle of garlic salt
• 1 cup cooked, cubed chicken or turkey
• 5 ounces Stilton or other good-quality blue cheese
• 1 large egg yolk, whisked with 1/2 teaspoon water (optional)

 Make the filling: Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and add the boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes until softened. Drain the mushrooms and mince finely.

 Heat oven to 400°F.

 In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Increase the heat to high, add the fresh and rehydrated mushrooms, season well with salt and pepper, and sauté until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid they released has completely evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool.

 On a floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread the sour cream in an even layer, leaving at least two inches of dough uncovered all around the outer edge of the dough. Sprinkle with garlic salt. This is the first layer.

 Crumble the blue cheese into a bowl.

Spread half the mushroom mixture over the sour cream on the dough, keeping the border. That's the second layer.

Top the mushroom layer with the chicken in a single layer...third layer.

 Distribute the crumbled blue cheese evenly over the chicken layer...fourth layer.

Evenly spread the remaining mushrooms over the blue cheese...last layer.

Fold the border over the mushrooms and cheese, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.

 If you’d like, brush the outside of the dough with the egg wash for a deeper, shinier color. (Egg wash is 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water.)

 Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

 Do ahead: Galette keeps well in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.