flipGalette Charentaise
Galette Charentaise
Why this dish? A dry, buttery cake from the Charente, flavored with angelica, the galette keeps well and travels easily. For a man who spent his life traveling — London, Washington, Luxembourg, seat of the ECSC — a snack from home that fits in a diplomatic suitcase makes perfect sense.
A flat, golden, crumbly cake rich in Charentais butter, perfumed with candied angelica from Niort. Compact and not fragile, it accompanies coffee or slips into luggage.
I spent my life on trains and ocean liners, between London, Washington, and Luxembourg — and a bit of home, in a suitcase, comforts a traveler. The galette from our region keeps for days without losing anything: good Charentais butter, a little sugar, and candied angelica from Niort that perfumes it all. It is baked flat, glazed with egg yolk, and scored with a fork. A square with coffee, and you find the Charente far from the Charente.
- •Wheat flour — two measures (structure)
- •Charentais butter — a good portion (richness and crumb)
- •Sugar — one measure (sweetness)
- •Eggs — a few (binder)
- •Candied angelica — a few stalks (signature flavor)
- •Pinch of salt — 1 (balance)
Galette Charentaise
A flat, golden, crumbly cake rich in Charentais butter, perfumed with candied angelica from Niort. Compact and not fragile, it accompanies coffee or slips into luggage.
Why this dish? A dry, buttery cake from the Charente, flavored with angelica, the galette keeps well and travels easily. For a man who spent his life traveling — London, Washington, Luxembourg, seat of the ECSC — a snack from home that fits in a diplomatic suitcase makes perfect sense.
I spent my life on trains and ocean liners, between London, Washington, and Luxembourg — and a bit of home, in a suitcase, comforts a traveler. The galette from our region keeps for days without losing anything: good Charentais butter, a little sugar, and candied angelica from Niort that perfumes it all. It is baked flat, glazed with egg yolk, and scored with a fork. A square with coffee, and you find the Charente far from the Charente.
Ingredients (period version)
- Wheat flour — two measures (structure)
- Charentais butter — a good portion (richness and crumb)
- Sugar — one measure (sweetness)
- Eggs — a few (binder)
- Candied angelica — a few stalks (signature flavor)
- Pinch of salt — 1 (balance)
Ingredients
- Wheat flour — 250 g (structure)
- Soft sweet butter (AOP Charentes-Poitou) — 125 g (richness and crumb)
- Sugar — 120 g (sweetness)
- Eggs — 2 (+ 1 yolk for glazing) (binder and glaze)
- Chopped candied angelica — 40 g (signature flavor)
- Baking powder — 1/2 sachet (lightness (modern option))
- Pinch of salt — 1 (balance)
Method
- Cream the soft butter with the sugar until smooth.
- Add the 2 eggs one by one, then the salt and chopped angelica.
- Fold in the flour (and baking powder) without overworking, to obtain a soft dough.
- Roll the dough into a flat disc about 1.5 cm thick on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Glaze with beaten egg yolk and score the surface with a fork in a crosshatch pattern.
- Bake at 180°C for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool before cutting into pieces.
How it was made : The galette charentaise, heir to the buttery cakes of dairy regions, owes its richness to local butter. Candied angelica, a specialty of Niort since the 18th century, is its traditional flavoring.
The contemporary twist : Cut into small "travel-size" squares and pack in a metal tin: the ideal diplomatic snack, to offer with a strong coffee.
Jean Monnet · Charactorium
