One of the remarkable things about this savory potato and leek galette is that it looks fancy, yet the ingredients are simple and inexpensive. The potatoes are plain old russets, the fat is olive oil instead of butter, and even though it's gluten-free and vegan, the galette is pleasantly starchy and creamy — a perfect cross between comfort food and an elegant, company-worthy dish.
It has been a few months since I had to radically change my diet for health reasons, and I recently found myself pining for my old favorites, gluten and dairy. This potato galette was an attempt to satisfy my "carb and butter tooth," and I'm pleased to say it did the trick. (I might have devoured half the galette, on my own, in one sitting. Less greedy folks will find that it serves about six.)

The recipe is inspired by a classic French potato galette or pommes Anna, but instead of layering the thinly sliced spuds with copious amounts of butter, I use a buttery olive oil. I also incorporate a single leek, which may not seem like much but it's just enough to lend a silky texture and sweet, mildly onion-y flavor. After baking in the oven, the potato "cake" is delightfully crisp on the outside and soft and creamy in the middle. It makes a lovely side dish for any meal — with eggs for brunch, with a salad for lunch, or as an accompaniment to dinner.

Potato and Leek Galette
Serves 61/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 large leek, white and light green parts only, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1 garlic clove, minced
Kosher salt
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly ground nutmeg
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes or other all-purpose potatoes, scrubbed
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over moderate heat. Add the leeks, garlic, and a pinch of salt and turn the heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes until the leeks are soft but not too browned. Stir in lemon juice, a crack of pepper, and a grate of nutmeg. Set aside.
Use a mandoline or chef's knife to cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Keep the potato slices stacked together to help prevent discoloration. (Do not rinse or soak the slices, as the natural potato starch helps hold the dish together.)
Grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch ovenproof skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and lightly sprinkle with pepper and nutmeg. Working from the outside-in, use a third of the potato slices to cover the bottom of the skillet with a layer of slightly overlapping, concentric rings.
Brush or rub a third of the remaining olive oil over the potato slices, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and spread half of the leeks on top, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the edges. Top with a third of the potato slices. Continue building the galette in layers; when finished, you should have three layers of potatoes and two layers of leeks.
Bake in the oven until golden and tender when pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes. If the potatoes start to burn before they are cooked all the way through, cover with aluminum foil and remove for a few minutes at the end of baking.
Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Run a spatula or knife along the edges to loosen the galette and invert it onto a dish. Serve warm, cut into wedges.
Related: Recipe Recommendation: Pommes Anna
(Images: Emily Ho)
Peeler by Normann C...

Comments (14)
Oh wow, that looks tasty. I might just make this with dinner tonight...
Looks crispy & delish.
Mandolin question: Do those of you with a mandolin use it mainly for potatoes? My knife skills are not good enough to cut uniform 1/8-in slices (but thinner is better for dishes such as this). Any pros or cons (or less expensive brand reccs) welcome.
Could you bake this just as well in a pie dish? I don't have an oven-proof skillet.
I'm intrigued by your term "buttery olive oil" and am wondering if you would share which brand of olive oil you used?
Oooh fabulous, very fancy-looking too!
I use my mandoline for any veg I want shaved thinly (salads...). I have decent knife skills but it is an easier and quicker way. Be careful of cutting yourself. Mine has a ceramic blade, plastic handle, and was purchased inexpensively from Williams Sonoma.
Thank you twosavoie. Can you tell I"m trying to justify a purchase? :-)
@MCross, I use my Japanese Mandolin almost daily. The brand is Benriner and you can get the regular or extra wide and the price is reasonable. I love that you can adjust the thickness of what ever you are cutting and they come with 3 blade attachments to julienne your veggies which comes in handy for stir fries, spring rolls and salads.
So what's wrong with fine slicing blade on the cuisinart. It's certainly safer.
Could you offer some tips on how to make the galette come out as beautifully as in the photo? My husband and I tried to make this last night and it looked like one of those Pinterest Fails (a greasy sloppy mushy mess). We used a food processor slicer instead of a mandolin. Do the type of potatoes matter? We didn't have russet so we used yukon golds (which I know are waxier, so that might explain it). Do you think a cast iron skillet also helps with the crisping?
I use my mandolin for everything, probably use it once a week. Potatoes, carrots, cabbage, zucchini, onions, etc. It also has a blade to julienne and chop so it is very versatile. It comes with a holder for the other blades. Makes the dish look so professionally done. I have had it for years. Did some research on them before I bought it, mine is a Borner, a German brand. If i remember correctly it was cheaper than Cuisinart and some of the big brands.
Some years ago, I wanted to support a locally owned kitchen store, so I bought the mandoline that they carried -- 100 percent stainless steel, French, and -- ooh-la-la -- tres expensive.
Thing is, the instruction manual is translated into English straight from French, and the illustrations are hard for me to follow, because I've never been good with spatial relationships.
Having said that, when I do drag it out and take the time to reacquaint myself with how to operate it, I think it does a better job than the food processor, and it whips through potatoes in no time flat. I make Pommes Anna a lot for holiday meals throughout the year, so having one or the other tool is essential, as slicing all those potatoes by hand would be a non-starter for me.
The one I have is made by Bron-Coucke, but I know there are highly rated mandolines out there that aren't nearly so dear in price. They are usually made of less-expensive materials for the rectangular body. I think Oxo is supposed to have a good one.
I make mini versions of these all the time with caramelized onions - I will definitely try this out very soon!