The Weeknight Asparagus & Savory Hazelnut Galette
Spring in the Bay Area hits fast. One minute you are roasting winter squash, the next you are staring down a mountain of pencil-thin asparagus at the farmers market. That is where this galette was born. I wanted a tart that felt like a Paris bistro but came together between logging off work and pouring a glass of Chablis. We are not suffering for brunch, and we certainly are not stressing over Tuesday dinner.The secret here is the savory crème d'amande—a rich, nutty cream base, but made with toasted hazelnuts, garlic, and thyme. It acts like a sponge, absorbing the vegetable juices so your pastry stays crisp and lacy, not tight like a bad alibi. Butter is not a garnish here; it is the structural foundation of a lamination-lite rough puff that you can make in one bowl. The fridge is your friend—let the dough chill while you prep the filling.Want to make it your own? Swap asparagus for early summer zucchini or fold a handful of Gruyère into the frangipane. Just watch for the visual cue: pull it when the crust is deeply golden and the asparagus tips look slightly charred.Cami's shortcut note: Buy pre-toasted hazelnuts to save ten minutes of active prep.Don't skip this: Keep your butter ice-cold. If it gets shiny while mixing, freeze the bowl for five minutes.
Featured Recipe
Asparagus & Savory Hazelnut Frangipane Galette
Butter is not a garnish. Here, it’s the structural foundation of a weeknight rough-puff that shatters on contact. We pair it with a savory crème d'amande—a nutty hazelnut base that absorbs the vegetable juices—so your crust never gets soggy.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour(about 2 cups, plus more for dusting)
- 1 tsp kosher salt(Diamond Crystal preferred)
- 170 g cultured butter, very cold(cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1.5 sticks))
- 60 ml ice water(about 1/4 cup)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar(the secret to tender dough)
- 60 g toasted hazelnuts, ground(about 1/2 cup)
- 30 g butter, room temp(about 2 tbsp)
- 1 egg(for the frangipane)
- 30 g Parmigiano Reggiano(freshly grated (about 1/4 cup))
- 1 garlic clove(finely grated)
- 300 g spring asparagus(trimmed, about 1 bunch)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon zest(zest from one whole lemon)
- 1 beaten egg(mixed with a splash of water for egg wash)
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt(Maldon or similar)
- lightly flour(mentioned in step 4, for rolling out dough)
Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, whisk together 250g all-purpose flour and 1 tsp kosher salt. Toss in 170g cultured butter, very cold. Using your thumbs and index fingers, quickly smash the butter cubes flat. Do not rub them down to dust—you want large, visible shards for a lacy, flaky crust. Stir in 60ml ice water and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar until a shaggy dough forms. Dump onto a counter, press it into a thick disc, wrap tightly, and throw it in the freezer.
10 min
Tip: The vinegar tenderizes the dough by inhibiting gluten formation, giving you a shattering crust even if you overwork it slightly.
- 2
While the dough chills, make the savory crème d'amande (nut cream). In a small bowl, aggressively mash 30g butter, room temp with 60g toasted hazelnuts, ground, 1 egg, 30g Parmigiano Reggiano, and 1 garlic clove. Set aside.
5 min
Tip: Why it works: This savory frangipane acts as a sponge. It absorbs the moisture from the asparagus while baking, preventing a soggy bottom and adding an incredibly deep, nutty baseline.
- 3
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). In a medium bowl, toss 300g spring asparagus with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 lemon zest.
5 min
Tip: If your asparagus stalks are thick like markers, halve them lengthwise. If they are thin like pencils, leave them whole.
- 4
Take the dough out of the freezer. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out to a 12-inch circle. It doesn’t need to be perfectly round—rustic means we embrace jagged edges. Transfer the rolled dough to a parchment-lined sheet pan.
5 min
Tip: If the dough feels tight like a bad alibi and keeps shrinking back, let it rest for 5 minutes to relax the gluten.
- 5
Smear the hazelnut frangipane evenly over the dough, leaving a bare 2-inch border around the edges. Arrange the dressed asparagus tightly over the center in a single layer. Now, the free-form fold: pleat the empty dough border up and over the ends of the asparagus. Brush the folded crust with 1 beaten egg and scatter 1 tsp flaky sea salt over the whole tart.
5 min
Tip: Press the pleats down firmly as you fold so they don't unfold in the oven.
- 6
Bake on the middle rack for 35 to 40 minutes. You are looking for a deeply bronzed crust that looks shattered and puffed, and asparagus that is blistered and tender.
35 min
Tip: Don't pull it early. Pale pastry is a tragedy. Let time do the work.
- 7
Remove from the oven and let it cool on the sheet pan for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
10 min
Tip: Cutting it hot means the juices will weep. Patience yields better structure.
Chef's Notes
Cami's shortcut note: If you absolutely cannot handle making dough on a Tuesday, buy a high-quality, all-butter puff pastry from the freezer section. Just roll it out and proceed with the frangipane and folding. Don't skip this: The hazelnut frangipane is non-negotiable. Without it, the high water content of the asparagus will steam the dough from the inside out. We're not suffering for lunch.
Camille Roux
Café-level bakes, weeknight methods, zero compromise.
Camille “Cami” Roux was born in Paris with flour in her hair and a healthy skepticism of culinary dogma. She grew up around neighborhood boulangeries that treated crust and crumb like religion—but what stuck with her wasn’t rigid tradition. It was the quiet precision: good butter that actually tastes like milk, patient fermentation that builds flavor for free, and desserts that know when to stop before they get cloying. After moving to the Bay Area, Cami trained in a bread-and-pastry scene obsessed with texture, naturally leavened doughs, and seasonal fruit—Tartine energy, minus the martyrdom. She became known for loaves that sing when they cool, jammy tarts with clean edges, and “how is this so good?” weeknight pastries made with a few smart shortcuts. Her motto is high impact, low fuss: splurge where it counts (butter, salt, time), streamline the rest (sheet pans, one bowl, cold-proofing). If it doesn’t improve flavor or structure, it doesn’t earn a step.