
There are so many things you can do with a big head of cabbage. The humble vegetable is one of the best kept secrets in the produce department. I sautéed what I had with lots of onion and garlic, then tossed the mixture with a couple of eggs and some grated Gruyère cheese, tucked it into the pastry and baked it for about 50 minutes. If you have fresh herbs you can season the cabbage with dill or chopped parsley. Dried dill is good too. Other seasoning options are caraway seeds or lightly toasted cuminseeds, which is what I went with. And because I’d blanched my beet greens from the farmers market, I chopped some up and added them to the mix. But that’s just because I had them.
Cabbage Galette
For the galette crust:
7 grams / scant 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
110 grams / 1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 grams / scant 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
50 grams / 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
250 grams / 2 cups flour, preferably a mix of whole wheat and unbleached all-purpose
5 grams / scant teaspoon fine sea salt
For the filling:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)
2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
Salt
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds cabbage (1 small), cored and finely chopped (about 7 to 8 cups)
Optional: 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, parsley, chives, or a combination, or 1 to 2 tablespoons dried dill; or 1 teaspoon caraway seeds or lightly toasted cumin seeds
Freshly ground pepper
2 eggs, beaten
3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (3/4 cup, tightly packed)
for egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
For the dough:
1. Dissolve the yeast in the water, add the sugar, and allow to sit until the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and the olive oil. Combine the flours and the salt, and stir into the yeast mixture. You can use a bowl and wooden spoon for this, or a mixer; combine the ingredients using the paddle. Work the dough just until it comes together in a coherent mass; the flour will continue to absorb water.
2. Flour your work surface and scrape out the dough. Knead gently, adding a little flour as necessary, just until the dough is smooth; do not overwork the dough. Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, rounded side down first, then rounded side up, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise in a draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour, while you prepare the filling.
For the cabbage filling:
3. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, wide heavy skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt, and cook another minute, then stir in the cabbage. Cook, stirring often, for 10 to 15 minutes, adding more salt to taste about halfway through. The cabbage should be cooked down and fragrant but still have some color. Stir in the fresh or dried herbs or spices if using, and freshly ground pepper. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasonings.
4. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in the cabbage mixture and the cheese and mix together well.
Assembling and baking:
5. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Dust a large work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Shape into a ball and let rest for 5 minutes. Then roll out into a thin round, about 16 inches in diameter. Line a sheet pan with parchment and place the round in the middle, with the edges overlapping the pan (this will eliminate the need to lift the galette once it is filled). Place the filling in the middle of the rolled out pastry and spread it to a circle, leaving a 3-inch margin all the way around the pastry. Fold the edges in over the filling, pleating them to cover the filling and drawing them up to the middle of the galette, so that the filling is enclosed, or just about enclosed. The finished galette should be about 9 or 10 inches in diameter. There can be a small circle of exposed filling in the middle. Brush with egg wash.
6. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Yield; Makes 1 10-inch galette, serving 8
Advance preparation: The filling, without the eggs, can be made 1 or 2 days ahead and kept in a covered bowl in the refrigerator. The galette will continue to taste terrific for 3 or 4 days after it’s made.
Variation: Add 1 cup chopped blanched beet greens or chard to the mixture.