Gougères are essentially cheesy cream puffs shells, made from a classic pâte à choux dough to which shredded cheese and other flavorings have been added. I've included a recipe below, even though one isn't really necessary. What's important is to keep the proportions of the main ingredients consistent - you can alter things like the cheese you use and the spices - my preference is for black pepper, but many people use something with more scovilles. I don't think the melted butter at the end is standard, but I think it adds a lush, salty element that enhances the overall flavor.
Gougères 3/4 cups of milk
3/4 cups of water
6 oz (1.5 sticks) of butter, cut up
salt (don't know how much - you have to add and taste 'til it's right)
1.5 cups of flour
6 eggs
6 oz of shredded gruyere
black pepper (I like a lot)
nutmeg (not too much)
melted, lightly salted butter that's still warm
Cook the first 4 ingredients until the butter is melted. Taste for seasoning. Add more salt now if necessary, as this is the last time you can do it effectively. Bring the liquid to a boil, then dump in the flour and lower the heat. Stir constantly and vigorously until the dough comes together and pulls away from the pan easily. Dump it into a bowl.
Milk, water, butter and salt cooking:
Dough (pre-eggs) transferred to a bowl:
At this point, most modern cooks probably turn to the stand mixer with paddle attachment. Not me. I don't get enough exercise as it is, so when it comes to pasta making or pate a choux forming, I'm not passing up the opportunity to strengthen my arms and expel some frustration on a mound of wet flour. So I add the eggs by hand. They must be added one at a time, and beaten (I use a hefty wooden spoon) like a naughty nr706 over G Wiv's lap after drinks on a Friday night, until each egg is fully incorporated. Along the way, the mix will look like vomit (which you may have on hand now after picturing the image described above), but - rest assured - it will come together and end up smooth and shiny. Then you can add in most of your cheese (save some for sprinkling) and the spices, beating vigorously again.
Dough, after eggs have been incorporated:
I then scoop this dough into a big ziploc freezer bag, snip the corner, and pipe small mounds onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. These go into a 400 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes (check them early and rotate the pan if they're not browning evenly). The above recipe made 35-40 gougères.
Gougères, ready for the oven:
Gougères, cooling on a rack:
At this point, I like to take a pastry brush and lovingly bathe the gougères with warm, melted butter and an extra tiny sprinkle of fleur de sel. Well made gougères have what I love most about good pastry: airily light texture that belies the rich, lush, and buttery flavor.
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...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in
The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
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