Plum Pistachio Galette

It is getting to be late summer, and plums are at their peak.  When they are in season, we eat plums like candy and the fruit bowl is constantly in need of replenishment.  As a sort of trick (and in order to spare his shirts from the inevitable juicy plum splatter) my husband has been known to pop smaller whole plums in his mouth, chew vigorously and amusingly spit out the pit moments later. Needless to say, we go through a lot of plums this time of year.  Aside from eating them as is, this easy galette is the perfect way to showcase the sweet flavor of this stone fruit.  A simple, rolled out pie crust dough is all you need. No pie tins, no lattice topping, no nonsense.  Just a rustic, free-formed crust, lazily folded over the fruit to catch all of the lovely drippings.  Pistachios are the perfect nutty accompaniment to the juicy, baked fruit.  Serve this sweet, jammy tart with unsweetened whipped cream or a dollop of creme fraiche.  You will be amazed at how easy, how beautiful and how delicious this galette is.  And it is certainly a dessert worthy of a those precious few plums left in our fruit bowl.

Plum Pistachio Galette 
(inspired by and adapted from this recipe)
Serves 6-8

1 recipe pate brisee (recipe can be found here here), refrigerated
5-6 ripe plums, halved and pitted
1/4 cup toasted, shelled pistachios + more for sprinkling over the tart
2 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp sugar + more for sprinkling on the crust
2-3 Tbsp heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  In the bowl of a food processor, combine 1/4 cup pistachios, the flour and 4 tablespoons sugar.  Pulse until the mixture is the texture of cornmeal.  Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Remove dough from refrigerator and allow it to soften a bit while you slice your plums.  Place plums cut side down on a cutting board and carefully slice each half into thin half moons.  If your plums are small, you may need to slice 6 plums.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a circle, a scant quarter of an inch thick.  Carefully transfer the dough to the lined baking sheet.  Spread the pistachio mixture over the dough, leaving 2 inches around in the edge.  On top of the pistachio mixture, arrange your plums to cover the crust, again leaving 2 inches around the edge.  Fold the outer crust over the fruit.  Sprinkle a small handful of reserved pistachios over the fruit.  Brush the crust with cream and then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 70 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is crisped.  Allow the tart to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving so that the juices can thicken.

Juicy, ripe plums.  

Spread the pistachio flour over the dough, leaving an edge. 

Top with sliced plums.

Fold edges over the fruit to seal in the juices.

Baked until the crust is golden and the plums are soft and jammy.  Late summer bliss.