rhubarb lattice galette
i'm a sucker for weird-looking things. to put in a good way, i'd say curiosity takes me to places.
my first encounter with rhubarb was at paul bakery in shanghai. i've always loved puff pastry, and this rhubarb danish caught my immediate attention because it looked so different from the danish i knew - which was usually filled with custard, blueberry or yellow peach in the center. the center of the danish in front of me was a celery-alike, pinkish pale-looking chunks of fruit (or plant?) when i asked the lady behind the counter what it was, she said it's called "da-huang" - meaning "big yellow" in mandarin. so i looked at the danish again, found it neither "big" or "yellow," and felt this urge to figure out the taste right away.
so i had the first bite, and the acidity had this brain-freeze effect on me immediately. it was a strong, sharp tartness with very slight earthy accent. it wasn't even that sweet, not as most desserts i knew, and its texture was like cooked-through celeries. in all perspectives, it was completely strange to me, but as i kept eating it, i started to like the unfamiliar yet unique taste.
then i came to realize, the charm of rhubarb comes from the idea to turn a mysterious object into a pure enjoyment. and these long, red stalks make it so easy, almost magical.
so a few weeks ago my friend a-san and i worked on this "almost magical" project, turning the long stalks into a beautiful lattice pattern. we had a lot of fun in the process, and hope you would, too, with this recipe we created.
ingredients
for sweet galette
all-purpose flour - 2 cups
salt - a pinch
granulated sugar - 1 tbsp
cold unsalted butter - 16 tbsp (1 1/2 stick), cut into cubes
iced water - 1/4 cup
demerara sugar - 1 tbsp
for rhubarb filling and lattice
rhubarb, three stalks
water - 1 cup
granulated sugar - 1/2 cup
to combine dough and rhubarb filling and lattice
melted butter - 1/2 tbsp
step by step
for sweet galette
preheat the oven to 400 °f.
in a mixing bowl, use your hands to combine together butter cubes with flour, salt and sugar. the largest butter crumbs should be about the size of a pea.
stir in iced water and form a round dough.
cut the dough into two halves, then form two doughs with your hands.
move each dough on separate plastic wrap. use your hand to press each dough into a flat, round disc.
refrigerate the doughs for at least 30 minutes. (you can also freeze the doughs for later use. thaw until the dough softens before use, usually about 20 minutes.)
roll the dough out until it's about 8" diameter, 1/8" thick and fill in with the toppings you like.
for a savory galette dough, i would recommend to not add sugar, but one more teaspoon of salt and herbs you like, such as thyme, rosemary, or even a bit of grated garlic.
for rhubarb filling and lattice
cut and discard the top layer and the two ends of two rhubarb stalks. then use a mandolin slicer or a peeler to slice the rhubarb into long strips.
cut the rest rhubarb stalk into 1" thick slices.
in a saucing pan, put in water and sugar and heat until it boils. turn to low heat.
cook one rhubarb strip at a time until it softens, about 15 seconds. then drain on paper towels.
cook the thick slices at once for about 30 seconds until softened, drain and set them aside.
reserve the syrup in the saucing pan.
on a sheet of parchment paper, line up 8 to 9 rhubarb strips side by side. fold alternative strips up from half way, then put another in the middle, then fold back those already folded, and fold unfolded ones over the strip in the middle. repeat until the lattice pattern is big enough to cover the galette top. the strips should be enough for two lattices.
we found the weaving tutorial from saveur quite easy to understand. you can watch from 00:45.
to combine dough and rhubarb filling and lattice
in the center of a rolled-out dough, put half of the cooked rhubarb slices. repeat the same to the other dough.
carefully transfer each lattice on top of the galette, then crimp the rim.
glaze the lattice top with the reserved syrup. brush melted butter and sprinkle some demerara sugar on the crust.
bake for 45 minutes or until the crust becomes golden.