I’m the first to admit when I’m wrong. So, a couple of years ago when Jedd brought home a salad spinner and I complained about the space it took up and how we’d never use it – well – I was wrong.
I love the thing. Especially when we get huge heads of lettuce from the CSA. I just wash it, spin it and bag it. Doing that keeps the lettuce fresh longer, and who doesn’t love fresh lettuce?
It can also (perhaps oddly) work to dry other vegetables that in the past I would have used half a roll of paper towels to dry.
Basil, zucchini, kale and thinly sliced potatoes have all had their turn getting dizzy in the spinner.
And second only to greens, potatoes get spun the most because they need to be dry for pancakes.
The same is true with beautiful potato galettes.
Normally I bake galettes, but with temperatures eeking toward the 90s, there’s no way our oven is going to be used for the next couple of weeks.
Which is seriously a drag.
So the other night when we had a friend coming over for dinner, I realized that a stove top galette would be perfect.
The only trick is that you need a good non-stick pan, a mandoline (or a food processor or a salad shooter), and a salad spinner. But with those simple kitchen tools, you can have an amazing dinner in 30 minutes. Combine that with a big green salad and some wine – and you’re all set.
The galette would be perfect for a picnic or cookout too.
Stove Top Potato, Dill and Cheddar Galette
Serves 2-4 with a large salad.
Ingredients:
3 medium red potatoes
½ red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons unbleached flour
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Chives or chopped flat leaf parsley, optional
Instructions:
Slice the potatoes into 1/8-1/4 inch slices. Place potatoes in a large bowl, and cover with cold water. Let sit for 10 minutes to remove some of the starch. Drain and spin dry. (Or pat dry with paper towels.) Place the dried potatoes in a bowl with the onion, cheese, flour, dill, salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands.
Heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat in a 8-inch non-stick frying pan. As soon as the butter has melted, add the potato mixture. Press down firmly with a spatula. Turn the heat down to medium low.
Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the galette moves as one piece in the pan when you push it with a spatula. (If it doesn’t move and you think that it should, gently run a small spatula around the sides to make sure nothing is sticking.)
Turn the heat off, and cover the frying pan with a large plate. Flip the galette onto the plate. Gently slide the galette back into the frying pan to brown the bottom.
Turn the heat back on medium low, and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes.
Turn the galette on a plate and garnish with chives or parsley.
There you have it! A delicious galette, without having to turn the oven on!
(Photo by Launie Kettler)