Happy Monday everyone! I hope you had a wonderful weekend defrosting from the winter storm. I was fortunate enough to have a great weekend of cooking, studying, and eating at a new restaurant.
As a graduate nutrition student I am required to take a Food Production class to be able to work at a hospital caffeteria. My class is taught by a chef and we learn proper food prep as well as becoming ServSafe certified. I will be sharing some fun recipes we make throughout the semester and include tips given by our chef. Today I want to tell you about the gougères.
Before this class I had never heard the word gougère. Gougère is a French savory choux pastry made with cheese. Its very similar in shape and taste to the creampuff but rather than being sweet its savory.
The gougère is extremely versatile and goes well with any meal. Since its made from cheese it especially goes well with wine. I plan on stuffing them with chicken or tuna salad next time! Yum! They are rather easy to make so next time you host a party make a batch to impress your friends!
Alain Ducasse’s Gougères
1/2 cup milk1/2 cup water- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
- Large pinch of coarse salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 3 1/2 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (1 cup), plus more for sprinkling
- Freshly ground pepper
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter and salt and bring to a boil. Add the flour and stir it in with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms; stir over low heat until it dries out and pulls away from the pan, about 2 minutes.
- Scrape the dough into a bowl; let cool for 1 minute. Beat the eggs into the dough, 1 at a time, beating thoroughly between each one. Add the cheese and a pinch each of pepper and nutmeg.
- Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip and pipe tablespoon-size mounds onto the baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 22 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Serve hot, or let cool and refrigerate or freeze. Reheat in a 350° oven until piping hot.
- *Recipe used in class can be found at foodandwine.com
Tips!
You can use any cheese you want. Since Gruyère cheese is pricey, try using Swiss cheese
instead. It taste very similar and will save you money.
The key to making a successful gougère is to stir in every egg one at a time. Let each egg completely mix with the dough before you put the next one in. This will make a huge difference in the taste of your gougère.
Also if you don’t feel comfortable using a pastry bag, use an ice cream scoop. This will allow you to have more control of the shape and each gougère will look the same.
Hope you enjoy!
