Makes one 9 inch Galette
INGREDIENTS
3 Comice Pears, halved, cored and sliced
3 T Butter
1 c. Brown Sugar
1/2 c. fresh Cranberries
1 sheet store bought Puff pastry, or make your own if feeling heroic
1 egg with 2 t water, beaten
2 oz Rogue Smoked Blue Cheese
Piment d’Espalette
Maldon Sea Salt
PREPARE
Heat a saute pan over medium high heat, and melt the butter until it bubbles and browns slightly. Add the sugar and stir into the butter until it begins to melt and bubble. Add the pears, a good pinch of salt and sauté for 5 minutes, tossing or stirring a few times. Remove from the heat and strain any liquid from the pears. Reserve the pear butter sauce in a small sauce pan. Transfer the pears to a small pan and refrigerate. The idea is to soften the pears without cooking through.
Lightly flour a work surface and lay out the puff pastry and take a few passes with a rolling pin but not rolling too thin. Chill the dough for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the dough and pears from the fridge. Place the dough on a sheet pan and arrange the pears from the center working your way out to within 2-3 inches from the outside edge.
Note: the galette does not have to be round! Arrange the cranberries over the pears and begin to fold the dough over the pears and folding clockwise until the dough has surrounded the pears in a semi attractive pattern. The pears and cranberries should be exposed with an edge of folded dough.
Brush the dough with the egg and bake the galette in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Remove from the oven and cool slightly on a wire rack. Warm the pear butter sauce. Transfer to a cutting board and grate the blue cheese over the galette until well covered. Slice and serve with a good drizzle of the sauce, a sprinkling of Piment d’Espalette and sea salt.
