Gougère mini-BLTs

Gougère mini-BLTs: These are a favorite of mine when stuffed with chopped Napa Cabbage, fresh chopped garden tomatoes, a few pieces of crispy bacon (lardon style), and a bit of Greek yogurt on top. All served with a bowl of roasted corn and tomato soup. Truly a Code Delicious! Serves 6

Gougères mini-BLTs

• Gougères (see recipe)                                      24
• Bacon, cut lardon style                                   1.5 lbs
• Fresh chopped tomato                                     as needed to fill
• Fresh chopped Napa Cabbage                       as needed to fill
• Greek yogurt                                                        12 tsp

Assemble the cut gougères by layering from the bottom up; Napa cabbage, chopped tomato and bacon. Top with ½ tsp of Greek yogurt.

Gougères:These are basically savory cheese puffs made from a pâte à choux. This a savory variation of the basic method and ingredients used to create éclair and cream puff shells. They provide an automatic portion control given their small size.  Once made, the dough can be frozen, or the shells made ahead of time and reheated at ~400 degrees for about 4-5 minutes. Variations and stuffings abound-enjoy!

Gougères

• Butter, unsalted                                  5 tbs (2.5 oz)
• Water                                                      8 oz
• Ground cumin                                     ¼ tsp
• Cayenne pepper                                 ¼ tsp
• Salt                                                          ¼ tsp
• Flour (all-purpose, sifted)            4.5 oz (roughly 1 cup)
• Baking powder                                   ¼ tsp
• Eggs                                                        3
• Gruyère cheese (finely ground)          1/3 cup
• Parmesan cheese (finely ground)        1/3 cup

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place parchment paper over a baking sheet. Melt butter slowly with salt, cayenne pepper and ground cumin in a 2 qt. saucepan. When the butter is melted, add the water and rapidly bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add sifted flour and baking powder all at once. Combine with a wooden spoon. Mixing continuously, but not too vigorously (or the fat may separate out) place back on the heat for about a minute until the paste pulls away from the pan smoothly, leaving only a thin film. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. Using the wooden spoon, or a paddle if using a mixing bowl, add the eggs one at a time. The dough is done when it takes on a shiny gloss. Add the cheese. Transfer to a piping bag with a #6 tip (or use a zip-loc plastic bag with a hole cut in a bottom corner and pipe ~ 1inch rounds onto the cookie sheet. You may top the pastry with a little milk, additional cheese or salt as you desire. Bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 for another 10 minutes. Continue to reduce the heat every few minutes (3-5 minute intervals) until 200 degrees F is reached or the puffs turn golden brown, whichever occurs first. Do not open the oven too frequently while cooking; the puff is a steam dependent process. Remove from the heat, the puffs should be dry. Pierce the top with a paring knife to let any steam escape (if it doesn’t the insides will get soggy). Allow to cool and cut the tops.  

Photos by J.E. Fenster

 

      

All Values approximate