Blackberry Galette with Flemish-style Red Ale

Ingredients

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Directions

1. A galette is an easy, open-faced style of hand-formed pie that can be filled with any seasonal fresh fruit. We've had a lot of blackberries around these parts lately (Georgia seems to have them literally around every corner during the mid-to-late summer), so we put our recent surplus to good use. But, just about any fruit you have on hand will make these work.
2. Add a splash of lemon or sour ale to macerate along with some sugar and a little lemon juice and you're halfway to a fruit-filled galette that will pair well with chocolate or sour styles of beer.
3. This pairing was put together with the help of Chef Karie Michele Brown of Beverly Jean Bakeshop, a friend and talented pastry chef based out of Atlanta, Ga.
4. Dough

5. Chef Karie's pie dough is a family secret, but you can just as easily buy a commercially prepared pastry dough, or attempt to make your own using any of the many recipes already online (like this one) from William's Sonoma which uses a food processor).
6. Process
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8. Mix together the fruit and other ingredients until evenly mixed—allow to macerate.
9. Roll out the pastry dough to about a quarter inch thick and then cut into circles (running a knife around the edge of a large inverted bowl will work if you want your circle uniform and don't have a large circle cutter).
10. Spoon the fruit filling into the center of each circle, leaving a one inch border all the way around. Pinch the edges of your circle up and around the filling. Before baking, egg wash the exterior and sprinkle the edges with the turbinado sugar. This adds a depth of color and texture to the crust that's pretty stunning.
11. Bake at 375°F (conventional) or 350°F (convection) degrees for about 20-25 minutes, or until firm and golden brown. To finish, brush the center of the finished galette with a glaze of preserves (typically apricot jam mixed with water). This keeps the fruit from drying out and also makes for a shiny, beautiful presentation.
12. Chef Karie Recommends
13. Allow your cut out rounds to rest and chill in the refrigerator before forming into the finished product. Once you have formed your galettes, freezing them prior to baking will allow them to hold their shape more easily.
14. Serving the blackberry galettes with dark chocolate ice cream as an accompaniment to the dark fruit adds an extra dimension to the pairing with the Oude Tart, somewhat mellowing the full-frontal tartness. Berry and dark chocolate is an added bonus without adding vanilla notes, which would not pair well with the acidity of this Flemish red.