What Makes Jacques Pépin's Elegant Apple Galette Perfect For Sharing

Some recipes come and go with the fickle tides of trend-based cooking (one can only eat so many cake pops), while others withstand the test of time. Jacques Pépin's apple galette falls into the latter category. 

With a crispy-yet-sturdy pâte brisée and a layered spiral of thinly sliced apples, the dessert is a pillar of the legendary French chef's effortless balance of rustic elegance. "This apple galette is a favorite at our house," Pépin said on a CBS "Sunday Morning" segment. "The dough is very flaky, almost like a puff paste [sic]." He adds that the apples are tossed in butter and sugar in the French style but notes that "a bit of cinnamon could be added to the sugar if desired."

A version of the tart that appeared on an episode of Pépin's show "Heart & Soul" has earned high praise from the likes of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. The YouTube sensation says the recipe is "designed for home cooks who want good shortcuts." Another reason to love it? You don't even need a plate. 

A recipe for Jacques Pépin's Country Honey Apple Galette, which appears on Food & Wine, states that the French culinary educator likes to forgo plates, chairs, and utensils altogether when serving it for dessert. Instead, he cuts it into slices and serves it buffet-style, leaning into its pizza-like shape. 

The recipe is almost indistinguishable from the version he shares on CBS, but this one lets loose ever-so-slightly with a dusting of cinnamon and a tablespoon of the best honey you can find. 

As you might guess from the no-frills manner in which Pépin prefers to present the tart, the process of making the dough for all of his apple galette recipes is the same, and it's as simple as it gets. All you need is flour, sugar, salt, unsalted butter, and some ice water. (Pépin brings it all together in a food processor, but your hands will do just fine, too.)

In the words of Leonardo da Vinci, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. And Jacques Pépin would agree. Despite having served as the personal chef for former French president Charles de Gaulle, when he was surely stationed in the camp of haute cuisine, Pépin is enamored by simple ingredients — especially chickens. 

According to an NPR review of his latest memoir, the chef can "transform scrambled eggs into a dinner party for 50." Indeed, Pépin's brightly colored illustrations of chickens exude a kind of reverence; an ability to see beyond the bird's basic form.

Pépin tells NPR that his meals get simpler as he gets older. "If I'm left with a beautiful tomato from my garden, a bit of coarse salt, and olive oil, I don't need more embellishments," he says. The same principle applies to nearly all of Pépin's recipes, apple galettes included. With two or three Golden Delicious apples and a few basic pantry staples, it doesn't take a whole lot of time, effort, or money to whip up an elegant dessert.