Recipe: At Heart Panaderia’s eggplant and goat cheese galette

This week, we’re sharing a recipe for the eggplant and goat cheese galette from At Heart Panaderia.

Founded in 2021, you may already be familiar with baker Teresa Finney’s custom cakes and pastries, particularly her conchas. Earlier this year, Finney began supplying baked goods to Communidad Taqueria, the new Old Fourth Ward restaurant from Poco Loco chef and owner Nick Melvin.

Finney’s galette, an easier alternative to pie, uses one of the South’s most prominent summer crops: eggplant. If you’re looking for a recipe to use up all the eggplant still sprouting in your garden, look no further.

One need not be a skilled baker or cook to make a galette. Consider it the ragged, rustic cousin to pie.

For this recipe, quickly sautéed eggplants (use three to four small varieties or one large Italian eggplant) are combined with honey and goat cheese for a creamy, lightly sweetened savory pastry that can be served alone, or with a salad on the side or atop the galette. Finish the galette with a shower of Parmesan cheese and fresh thyme.

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Serves 8 people
Prep time: 30 minutes (up to 48 hours for the pastry)
Bake time: 35-40 minutes

Pastry Ingredients

• 300g (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 15g (1 Tbsp) granulated sugar
• 4g (1 tsp) kosher salt
• 225g (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very cold
• 113g (1/2 cup) ice cold water, more if needed
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, optional

Pastry Filling Ingredients

• 3 to 4 small variety eggplants, such as Japanese or Fairy Tale
• 13g (1 Tbsp) olive oil
• 113g (1 four-ounce package) goat cheese, softened 
• 20g (1 Tbsp) honey
• 4g (1 tsp) kosher salt
• 3g (1 tsp) black pepper
• parmesan cheese, for grating
• fresh thyme, for garnish

Directions

Make the pastry

1. In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, and salt and toss with a small whisk or just your fingers to combine. Cut the butter into roughly 1/2-inch cubes; add to the bowl and toss to coat in the flour. Work the butter further into the flour by rubbing and smashing the pieces between your hands and fingers, until the butter is distributed throughout. Aim for a mix of smaller and larger butter pieces. 
2. Drizzle in the water and stir using a fork or your fingers. Gather a small bit of the dough now: if it holds together when pressed and doesn’t crumble, it’s ready to go. If not, drizzle in more cold water, or about 1/2 tablespoon at a time, and test accordingly.
3. Divide the dough in half and wrap both halves in plastic. Place one in the freezer for later use and the other in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill. (The dough can be made up to 48 hours in advance; any longer and both halves should hang out in the freezer until you’re ready.)

Make the filling

1. Set a wide skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle in the olive oil, swirling the pan to evenly distribute the oil. While the skillet preheats, run the eggplants under cold water, then pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Remove the stem from each eggplant, then slice into about 1/2-inch-thick rounds. (No need to remove the skins or salt the eggplant before sautéing.)
2. Once the oil in the skillet is shimmering, arrange the eggplant rounds in a single layer and lower the heat to medium. You may need to cook the eggplant in batches to not overcrowd the skillet. 
3. Let the eggplant cook, untouched, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, then flip and do the same to the other side. Once both sides of the eggplant have been lightly sautéed, remove from the skillet and transfer to a dinner plate lined with paper towels. Season the eggplant with the salt and black pepper, and let cool while you make the goat cheese spread. 
4. In a small mixing bowl, add the softened goat cheese and honey. Mix to combine and set aside. 

Roll out the pastry, fill galette and bake

1. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and let it come to slight room temperature, about 15 to 20 minutes if the dough was only resting for half an hour. If it was resting for significantly longer, give the dough more time to become pliable and easy to roll.
2. Once dough is up to temperature, roll the dough into a roughly 12-inch round. It’s fine if the “round” is not perfectly round. Carefully transfer the dough to a half-sheet baking tray lined with parchment. When the pastry is on the tray, heat the oven to 400 degrees F. 
3. Spoon the goat cheese mixture onto the pastry now and spread it all around with a spoon, leaving about a 2-inch border. Arrange the sautéed eggplant atop the goat cheese; it’s fine if some pieces are overlapping, but try to place eggplant pieces in a mostly single layer. 
4. Fold up the pastry border. Again, it doesn’t have to be perfect; rustic is the vibe. Brush the pastry generously with an egg wash and sprinkle the sesame seeds on the border, if using. Bake the galette until the pastry is golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes.
5. Once out of the oven, grate a shower of Parmesan cheese over the top and sprinkle some fresh thyme. Let the galette cool for about 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator.