Russian Nachos

FOR THE DOUGH
3 cups (405g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, frozen
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons ice-cold water
2 tablespoons ice-cold vodka

FOR THE FILLING AND ASSEMBLY
1 (8-ounce) package full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon drained capers, minced
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more sliced scallion greens for garnish
8 ounces sliced Nova smoked salmon
4 medium heirloom tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon Everything Seasoning (page 9/below)
Flaky sea salt, for garnish
Fresh dill fronds, for garnish

For the dough (see tips, below): In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and kosher salt. Using a box grater, coarsely grate the frozen butter, then add it to the flour mixture and toss to coat. Add the water and vodka and hand knead the mixture until a shaggy dough forms.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

For the filling and assembly: In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, capers, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and the scallions until incorporated.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into an 18- inch round, ⅙ inch thick. Transfer the dough to the prepared sheet pan. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the dough in an even layer, leaving a 2-inch border. Layer the smoked salmon over the cream cheese, followed by the tomato slices, shingling them to cover the cream cheese. Season the tomatoes with the remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt.

Fold the exposed border of the dough over the tomatoes with a series of pleats, then brush the outside of the dough liberally with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the everything seasoning.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Let cool for about 15 minutes, until just warm.

Top the galette with a pinch of flaky sea salt, sliced scallions, and dill. Slice and serve.

TIPS
Pie Crust 101. Chill out. You need all your ingredients as cold as possible. That way, you’ll have more visi ble chunks of butter throughout the dough. As it bakes, each butter pocket melts and steams, creating the flaky layers you want.

Pour it up! Here, as in most times in life, vodka is your friend! Using alcohol in your dough not only helps it come together, but inhibits gluten development for a more tender crust.

Get stoned. Pizza stoned, that is. If you have a pizza stone or baking steel, bake your galette on it to help ensure a super- crisp and golden bottom crust.

Excerpted from JEW-ISH: A COOKBOOK: Reinvented Recipes from a Modern Mensch © 2021 by Jake Cohen. Photography © 2021 by Matt Taylor-Gross. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

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