Plum and Fig Galette with Crispy Prosciutto: a recipe that sounds fancy but in reality is quite simple. Fresh autumn plums and sweet fig jam, enfolded in crisp, buttery pasty and sprinkled with … Italian ham. And listen, if the idea of meat in a dessert is a non-starter for you, I implore you to read on just a little further. This dessert is imperfect and a little weird, but deeply delicious. Sort of like life, no?
As fall begins to nudge out the long, warm days, summer fruit is becoming more and more sparse in the grocery stores, and lately I’ve been drawn to the piles of big, juicy looking plums towering over the suddenly wan-looking peaches. Pumpkins may be the emblem of fall, but plums are its hidden treasure. They’re the last seasonal juicy bite we get before the snow starts to fall.
For this recipe, I went for the big, dark, moody black plums, but you could use the slightly tarter purple-red variety as well.
So, okay. Let’s address the prosciutto thing. Meat in dessert is … not conventional. My husband wrinkled his nose in disgust at the thought of it, but I urged him, as I urge you now, to keep an open mind. Diced up and cooked until light and crispy, the prosciutto is a delicate garnish sprinkled on at the end, and it adds a marvelously crunchy-salty texture that that is so delicious paired with the sweet jamminess of the fruit. Surely you’ve seen maple doughnuts topped with bacon? It’s not such a reach. That said, if it give you the willies, you can absolutely leave it off (but for the record, my husband LOVED IT).
A galette is pretty much just like a pie, except there’s no fussing with pre-baking crusts or fluting edges. Instead, it’s simple and rustic. You roll out the crust, add the filling, and fold the edges roughly over the top. Simple. But still, I think, a lovely presentation.
This crust is adapted from my World’s Best Pie Crust recipe and is SO easy to make. Seriously, It takes about three minutes in a food processor, plus rolling.
The filling is simple: a mixture of almond flour, regular flour, and sugar which morphs into a luscious platform for thick-sliced plums. This makes for a satisfying bite and ensures the fruit juices don’t sink down and make the crust soggy.
A smidge of lemon zest and squeeze of juice balance the sweetness of the fruit and the fig jam and lend a bright edge.
This crust is not meant to be perfect. Feel free to fold sloppily.
The fig jam brings it all together and provides a beautiful shiny finish. I like the succulent flavor of fig, but you can use whatever jam strikes your fancy. Apricot jam would be yummy, or you could try orange marmalade. If you want to take the crazy even further, I’ll bet a sweet onion jam would be just delicious, too.
A little freshly-whipped cream wouldn’t be inappropriate here, but it’s just as good unadorned. With so much complexity in the flavor, simple is often best. Again, just like life.
Can’t get enough of plums? Try my High Altitude Autumn Plum Torte.
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Plum and Fig Galette with Crispy Prosciutto
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
- Yield: 8 slices
Description
This rustic pastry captures the juiciness of early autumn plums in a buttery crust topped with luscious fig preserves and salty, crispy bits of savory prosciutto.
Ingredients
CRUST
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp sugar
10 TB (1 stick + 2 TB) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
3 TB cold water
FILLING
1/4 cup granulated sugar + 3 TB for sprinkling
3 TB almond flour/meal (ground almonds)
3 TB all-purpose flour
2 lbs fresh plums (about 6 baseball-sized), sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 tsp lemon zest
1 TB fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fig jam*
Optional garnish: 2-3 slices prosciutto, diced
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Make the crust: in a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar; pulse a few times to combine. Sprinkle butter pieces on top of flour and pulse several times until the mixture is coarse and sandy. Drizzle in water, processing on low speed until the dough begins to come together in a ball. If it seems too dry, add another tablespoon of water. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill a minimum of 20 minutes (up to1 hour), then remove from fridge and roll the pastry out into a rough circle about 1/8-inch thick. Carefully transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet. For the filling, whisk together the almond flour, all-purpose flour, and 1/4 cup sugar. Spread evenly on top of the crust, leaving a 2-3 inch border. Arrange the plum slices on top of the almond mixture. Sprinkle first the lemon zest and juices over the filling, then the remaining 3 TB sugar. Fold the edges of the crust back over the top, pinching the dough back together if it cracks. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. It’s okay if the filling has leaked out of the sides – that just lends to the rustic feel of the dessert. While the galette is still hot, brush the fig jam on top of the filling and crust. While the galette is cooking (or cooling), crisp the prosciutto. Mist a small pan with olive oil and set over medium heat. Add the diced prosciutto and cook, stirring frequently, until brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle the crispy bits on top of the galette just before serving. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Notes
… If your jam has lots of seeds, heat it slightly and strain them out through a fine-mesh strainer. The seeds won’t hurt anything, but a smooth consistency looks nicer and will help you avoid picking tiny seeds from your teeth.
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