Winter Squash and Blue Cheese Galette
Winter squash topped with blue cheese and surrounded by a flakey yeast dough.
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds winter squash such as butternut
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small head of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
1 small onion, finely chopped
10 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped, or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan (about 1 1/2 ounces)
2/3 cup crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese (3 ounces)
Yeast Dough:
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup lukewarm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, at room temperature
3 tablespoons crème fraiche or softened unsalted butter
Instructions
Make dough:
1. In a bowl, stir together the water, yeast and sugar. Let stand in a warm place until bubbly, about 10 minutes.
2. In a bowl, toss the flour with the salt and make a well. Add the egg, crème fraiche or softened butter and yeast mixture to the well. Using a wooden spoon, incorporate the flour into the liquid ingredients to form soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead briefly until smooth.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Punch down the dough and let it rest briefly before rolling out.
Filling:
1. Cut butternut squash into pieces. Lightly brush each cut side with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Place the garlic cloves in the cavities and cover with saran wrap and microwave approximately 8 minutes depending on microwave. Cook until soft. If you don't have a microwave, bake the squash in a 375-degree oven for about 1 hour, or until the squash is tender when pierced with a knife. (The recipe can be made to this point up to 3 days ahead; wrap the squash and garlic separately and refrigerate.)
2. Scoop out the squash flesh into a large bowl and mash with a fork until fairly smooth. Squeeze the garlic out of its skin and mash with a fork.
3. In a small skillet, warm 2 teaspoons of olive oil over low heat. Add the onion and sage and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and beginning to color, 6 to 7 minutes. Add to the squash along with the mashed garlic and Romano. Mix well, season with salt and pepper and fold in half of the Roquefort.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured baking sheet without sides, roll out the galette dough into a 14-inch round. Spread the squash filling over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Sprinkle the remaining Roquefort on top. Fold up and pleat the border of the dough. Brush the dough with the beaten egg.
5. Bake the galette until the crust is nicely browned, about 25 minutes.
Food and Wine, March 1994