Red Pepper and Baked Egg Galettes from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem ~ these eggs baked in puff pastry are the ultimate breakfast in bed recipe, and they look spectacular on a brunch buffet table, too.
Red Pepper and Baked Egg Galettes are a simple yet unique recipe that’s such fun to make!
Some chef’s are destined to change the landscape of the food world and Yotam Ottolenghi is one of them. I’m pretty picky about adding to my cookbook collection, you could say I’m a cookbook minimalist. But I have every one of Ottolenghi’s many books ~ Jerusalem was my first and is still my favorite. The food is creative, colorful, and ingredient driven. Just my style (the photos make me weak at the knees.) It’s a keeper, just like these baked egg galettes 🙂
The wonderful thing about these baked egg galettes is that anybody can do them.
If you’re trying to impress a brunch crowd or a special someone, this is the recipe to try. Yes the galettes look fancy, but that’s the magic…they come together in a few easy steps. You’ll roast red pepper and onion wedges and then pile them on little squares of puff pastry thathave been spread with a little sour cream, creme fraiche, or goat cheese. If you prep your veggies ahead of time they’ll be quick and easy to make. The combo is a winner.
What you’ll need for baked egg galettes
- frozen puff pastry (see tips below for working with it)
- red bell peppers ~ the color makes the galettes pop!
- onions, you can use any type but I prefer purple, which adds another color to the mix
- ground cumin and coriander, a classic Middle Eastern duo
- fresh thyme, parsley, and cilantro
- sour cream (I’ve also used creme fraiche, or soft goat cheese)
- fresh eggs, buy the best you can afford
- the basics like olive oil, salt, and pepper
The colorful veggies are shaped into a sort of ‘nest’ shape to hold the eggs in place. I used red bell peppers, but you can use any color you like, even mix them for a rainbow effect.
The final step is to crack an egg in the center of each galette and bake until just barely set ~ that really makes these irresistible. I like to crack my egg into a small cup before adding it to the galette, it gives me more control over where it settles.
These egg galettes can be served hot, warm, or at room temperature
Tips for working with frozen puff pastry dough
- The best way to thaw frozen puff pastry is to put it, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight.
- Unwrap the dough and put on a lightly floured surface.
- Roll out the dough gently to your desired shape. You usually don’t need to roll it out very much, you can just nudge it into shape with your rolling pin.
- Always keep puff pastry dough cold, so if it warms up as you’re working, pop it back into the refrigerator to re-chill it.
- When you want to create a raised lip or crust around the border, run the tip of a sharp knife around the dough about an inch from the edge. Don’t cut all the way through the dough. When it bakes it will puff up and make a nice framed edge for the finished egg galettes.
- Make sure your pastry it chilled before baking, so again, if you’ve been working with it long enough that it warms up, chill before putting it into the oven.
- Make sure your oven is preheated!
Featured comment on Baked Egg Galettes
“Thank you for posting such an incredible recipe! The moment I saw how beautiful it looked, I had to make it. I made it for lunch that very day. The combination of favors was exceptionally satisfying. Yum! Very nice for a special occasion.” ~ June
More Ottolenghi recipes to try
- Ottolenghi’s Cod Cakes in Tomato Sauce
- Yotam Ottolenghi’s Flourless Coconut Cake
- Ottolenghi’s Chicken with Caramelized Onion and Cardamom Rice
- Ottolenghi’s Mejadra Recipe
Red Pepper and Baked Egg Galettes
Ingredients
- 2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch strips
- 2 small onions, (red or white) halved and cut into 1/2 inch wedges
- fresh sprigs of thyme, leaves removed
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 6 Tbsp olive oil
- handful fresh parsley, chopped
- handful cilantro, chopped
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg, beaten, for brushing the pastry
- 12 tsp sour cream
- 4 large eggs
- salt and fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Mix together the pepper, onions, thyme and spics in a bowl. Add the olive oil and toss well so that everything is coated with the oil and spices.
- Spread on a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring and rearranging the veggies a few times so they don’t burn.
- Sprinkle the veggies with half the fresh herbs and set aside.
- Turn the oven up to 425. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until it reaches a 12×12 inch square. Cut into four 6 inch squares. Transfer to two parchment or silpat lined baking sheets.
- Take a dul knife and score a little 1/4 inch frame around each square of pastry. Don’t cut all the way through. Prick the inside of the squares all over with the tines of a fork. Put back in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Remove the pastry from the fridge and brush all over with a beaten egg. Spread the inside of each square with 3 tsp of sour cream.
- Top each with some of the veggie mixture, spread it out evenly, leaving the borders free, and leaving a shallow depression in the center for the egg, which will go in later.
- Bake for about 10 minutes until rising and starting to brown.
- Remove and carefully crack in egg into the center of each galette.
- Put back into the oven for about 10 minutes until the egg is set.
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and remaining herbs. Drizzle with some good olive oil and eat right away.
Notes
Nutrition
VINTAGE VIEW ~ these egg galettes are from TVFGI archives, first published in 2013. As part of a series on the blog I’m reviving some of the best recipes that you may have missed over the years ~ I’ve updated my notes and I’m so excited to re-introduce you to this fabulous dish.
Simply stunning! I made these for Easter this morning, and they were as delicious as they were beautiful!
I love these too, Sally, perfect for Easter!
These were excellent. Made for my family. They loved it even the two picky ones.
Delicious. Mine was not as pretty but tasty. I used goat cheese instead of sour cream.
Do you know calorie count for this dish??
Wonderful recipe, turned out beautifully. Plan to make it again as part of an elegant brunch. thank you
I haven’t made these in a while Pat, you’ve inspired me!
These look beautiful! I was thinking of making them for Easter Sunday, but I have to be dairy-free. Do you think it’s possible to just omit the sour cream or will that drastically change it?
The sour cream serves to add a little flavor and anchor everything to the crust, so I wonder if you could use a dairy free cheese of some sort in its place. Or possibly hummus, an olive tapenade, or even a sun dried tomato spread of some sort.
For a dairy-free sour cream substitute, there are recipes online simply using chilled canned coconut milk (the solid part) mixed with either lemon juice or white vinegar 🙂
Thanks Irish Chef!
Can these be served cold or reheated?
They can be served at room temperature, Michelle, and you could reheat them, but the cooked egg won’t have the same texture. I think for best results they should be eaten either hot from the oven, or after they’ve cooled, but refrigerating them would be the last resort.
Hi there! Absolutely love this recipe! Anything with puff pastry = good in my book, and the roasted veggies are a perfect way to start the day! But when I cook the egg in the oven, it comes out rubbery. I have since just been cooking the egg in a pan to put it on after, but obviously it would be a lot more convenient to just keep everything going in the oven. Any ideas why this is happening and how I can fix it? Thanks!
Sometimes when I cook it the egg doesn’t get quite cooked through enough and I have to zap it under the broiler or put it back in for a minute…I can’t imagine the egg getting rubbery after such a short time in the oven. Are you sure your oven temperature is accurate?
These look amazing-but I’m not a huge fan of sour cream-could you recommend an alternative that isn’t dairy?
You can just omit the sour cream if you like, or you might use a pureed roasted red pepper spread like harissa if you like things spicy!
Thank you for posting such an incredible recipe! The moment I saw how beautiful it looked, I had to make it! I made it for lunch that very day. The combination of favors was exceptionally satisfying.
I did have to bake the egg a few minutes longer. Next time I just might add a poached egg. Instead of the suggested cheese, I grated a healthy portion of aged cheddar. On top, I sprinkled sautéed diced bacon. Yum! Very nice for a special occasion.
So glad you liked it June 🙂