Les Gougères au Fromage
(lay goo-zhehr oh froh-mahdzh)
L'Apéro et Les Petites Célébrations: Gatherings and Rituals
In France, the apéro is a sacred boundary between the labors of the workday and the sanctuary of the evening, and its undisputed king is the gougère. These rustic, unpretentious cheese puffs are the alchemy of the Burgundian grandmother: water, flour, eggs, and an unapologetic amount of pungent alpine cheese transformed into airy, golden perfection. The secret to a puff that actually tastes like it came from a village kitchen is twofold: never skimp on the sharpness of the cheese, and never, ever skip the pinch of nutmeg. Keep a batch of these frozen, and you can summon the soul of the French countryside in twenty-five minutes flat.
Before you start
Preheat the oven and prepare your pans.
Set your oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Ingredients
- water1/2 cup
- whole milk1/2 cup
- unsalted butter6 tbsp
- fine sea salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- nutmeg1/4 tsp
- all-purpose flour1 cup
- eggs4 large
- Gruyère or sharp white Cheddar1 3/4 cup
Method
- 01
Bring the liquids and fat to a rolling boil.
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg over medium-high heat. It is vital that the butter is completely melted by the time the liquid reaches a boil.
- 02
Dump the flour in all at once.
Remove the pan from the heat, add all of the flour in one fell swoop, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until it comes together into a shaggy dough.
- 03
Dry the dough over the heat.
Return the saucepan to medium-low heat and mash the dough continuously against the sides of the pan for 2 to 3 minutes. This crucial step evaporates excess moisture; you will know it is ready when the dough forms a smooth ball, pulls away cleanly, and leaves a faint film on the bottom of the pot.
- 04
Cool briefly, then beat in the eggs one by one.
Transfer the hot dough to a large bowl and let it cool for 3 to 4 minutes so the eggs won't scramble upon contact. Add the eggs strictly one at a time, beating fiercely; the dough will separate and look ruined at first, but keep beating until it forms a smooth, glossy paste before adding the next egg.
- 05
Fold in the cheese.
Once the final egg is fully incorporated and the dough is thick and glossy, fold in 1 1/2 cups of the grated cheese until it is evenly distributed.
- 06
Shape the puffs.
You don't need a pastry bag; simply use two teaspoons to drop ping-pong-ball-sized mounds onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about two inches apart, and hit each with a pinch of the remaining cheese for a crispy crust.
- 07
Bake them, and whatever you do, do not open the oven door.
Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until the puffs are deeply golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. If you open the door during the first 20 minutes, the steam will condense and your gougères will instantly deflate into sad, flat discs.
Notes
The weeknight freezer trick.
To prepare these in advance, scoop the raw dough mounds onto a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a zip-top bag for up to two months. When you are ready to eat, place the frozen mounds on a parchment-lined sheet, top with cheese, and bake directly from frozen at 400°F, adding 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time.
From Cook French in America.