Today I made a riff on Sohla El-Waylly's Triple Threat Onion Galette. I didn't have any dijon on hand so I swapped that out for a garlicky herbed goat cheese spread, and threw in leeks and shallots for an uber-oniony, Oops! All Allium experience.
I've been holding on to a lot of anxiety lately, and knew a good, cathartic cry would help release a lot of that tension. I've swung wildly between being an absolute crybaby and a dry, hollow husk at various points in my life, and am currently on the train through husk town. So, I knew getting some tears flowing would be difficult and I might require a little encouragement. Enter the onions.
I love onions of all varieties, but am deeply, deeply sensitive to the lachrymator compounds they release when you prep them. Even small amounts of onion chopping necessitates a 10 to 15 minute recovery period. When I finished my onion prep for this recipe, I had a sit on the floor and let my body do some much needed processing.
Some people might not wish to spend their Saturday mornings crying on the floor, eyes still stinging from the onion vapor in the air, but that's exactly the kind of relief I needed. Then I got to treat myself to a delightful brunch of crispy, crunchy, cheesy, oniony goodness! A great shot and chaser for an emotional reset.
I am not a chef and I super do not know how to write a great recipe, but I've included a recipe for my version of this galette in case you would like to make it. It's not necessary to have a cry to complete the recipe, but, y'know, think of it as an opportunity.
Oops! All Allium Galette
A Note on Crust: This time I had a store-bough pie crust on hand so I skipped Sohla's crust component from the original recipe. The galette turned out perfectly crispy on the bottom and my Pillsbury dough round absolutely did its job, but I would recommend using a homemade, buttery crust (perhaps with some added cheese?) to amp up the flavor on the end result. Phyllo dough or puff pastry would probably also do just fine.
Whipped Goat Cheese Spread
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whip until mixture is smooth, light, and spoonable, with garlic and herbs distributed throughout. Set aside.
Oops! All Allium Galette
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Lower heat to medium low, add sliced shallot and minced garlic. Stir to coat in oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots get loose and translucent and the mixture is just starting to take on color. Season with salt. Add sliced leeks and 1 tbsp butter, stirring to distribute butter throughout mixture. Cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, until leeks take on color. Remove from heat and transfer leek and shallot mixture to another dish. Reserve skillet.
In the same skillet (no need to clean), melt remaining 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. Remove from heat, add scallions, salt to taste (you might skip if using salted butter), and coat.
Roll out dough, then transfer to parchment lined baking sheet. Spread whipped goat cheese mixture in thin layer, leaving about 1 1/2 in (a little under 4cm) perimeter. You will have goat cheese spread remaining. Spread shallot and leek mixture over the top of the cheese layer. Season with black pepper. Top with scallions. Nestle dollops of remaining goat cheese spread among the scallions.
With a knife or kitchen shears, snip slits into the dough every few inches. Fold edge of dough over filling, overlapping as you go. If you spot little openings at the corners of your folded edge, gently press the dough to close them up. Your galette is assembled!
Bake on center rack for about 45 minutes, until crust is a deep golden brown, scallions are charred, and goat cheese dollops are browned. When finished, you can use the parchment paper to transfer to cutting board for cutting. If you have leftover herbs and cheese spread as I did, use those when serving.