Crispy Potato Galette

This side dish combines the crispiness of a potato chip with the creaminess of mashed potatoes and will be a hit when served alongside a green vegetable, such as green bean casserole or a green salad. Leftovers, if there are any, reheat well. Pair with sausage or ham for breakfast or serve with a tossed salad for lunch.

What Is a Galette?

In French cuisine, the term "galette" is used to describe a number of flat, freeform pies or cakes where a sweet or savory filling is contained in a rustic crust.

Fruit galettes are often made with pastry crust and are a great way to throw together a quick pie without the fuss of a fancy lattice or the risk of a soggy bottom.

In the Brittany, France region, a variation called the Breton galette, made with buckwheat flour and resembling a pancake, is often found in crêperies. These are usually filled with savory ingredients like ham, cheese, or eggs.

Galettes don't always have to be contained in a flour-based crust: Our potato galette holds itself together, forming a crispy layer of thin potatoes which act as a crust.

What sets galettes apart is their rustic, charming appearance that evokes nostalgia and celebrates simplicity.

What Kind of Potatoes Are Best for a Potato Galette?

For a potato galette to succeed in standing alone out of its cooking vessel, it needs starch to act as a sort of glue. A combination of russet potatoes—which are starch-heavy—and Yukon Gold potatoes—which are waxy and crisp quickly when thinly sliced— work in unison to make this potato galette as creamy as mashed potatoes with edges like potato chips.

In a pinch, red potatoes or new potatoes in place of the Yukon Golds would deliver similar results. Just be sure to choose potatoes that are large enough to create slices. (Save the fingerlings for a side dish.)

How to Make a Crispy Potato Galette

With just 25 minutes of active prep time, this galette pulls together in no time for a satisfying and impressive dish to anchor a weekend brunch or an easy weeknight dinner. This recipe needs to be assembled and baked quickly. If left to sit too long, the potatoes will leach too much liquid.

Step 1. Prep the potatoes, shallots, and garlic

Finely chop the garlic, and thinly slice the shallots. Save your hands from painful nicks and cuts by using a sharp chef's knife or mandoline when slicing the potatoes.

Pro Tip: Do not hold the potato slices in water prior to tossing with cooked garlic in Step 2, as this will remove the starch which is needed to hold the galette together.

Step 2. Cook the garlic

Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, cook the garlic in the butter and oil over medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant. Remove the skillet from the heat. Transfer the garlic to a large bowl, leaving enough of the butter mixture to coat the bottom of the skillet. Mix the potatoes, shallots, salt, and pepper in a bowl with the butter mixture until everything is evenly coated.

Step 3. Arrange the potato and shallot slices in the skillet

This is the fun part! Starting in the center of the skillet, arrange the potato and shallot slices in a circle, slightly overlapping each slice until the bottom of the pan is covered. Repeat this process to create layers until all of the potatoes and shallots are in the skillet.

You know we don't waste any flavor around here, so pour the remaining oil and garlic from the bowl over the potato layers. Using your clean hands, press down firmly on the potatoes to remove trapped air and to create tighter layers.

Step 4. Briefly cook the galette over high heat

Put the skillet back on the stovetop over high heat, and cook the galette undisturbed until it begins to sizzle, 3 to 4 minutes. This step helps the outer potatoes develop a buttery crust, which will be revealed when you invert the galette in the final step.

Step 5. Finish the galette in the oven

Carefully transfer the skillet to your preheated oven. Cook for around 50 minutes, until the potatoes are brown and tender, which you can check by sticking a fork in the middle of the galette. If it slides through easily, the potatoes are done. Let the galette rest in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting it onto a serving platter. Serve it up in wedges.