If you made the lemon puffs that we posted last week--this is an easy and delicious savoury option. We sampled these with a few wines and the 13th Street Winery Chardonnay was where we landed. I know...work, work, work.
Mondays have been a bit of therapy for both myself and Carolee through out a crazy time. Carolee gets lost in making a a new recipes and I find my therapy in shooting her food. There's no pressure-just time to create, set up, shoot and then enjoy.
Savoury Cheese Puffs (Gougeres)
Makes 16 - 3” puffs
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg white
6 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/ 4 teaspoon salt
1/ 2 cup (2 1/ 2 ounces) all-purpose flour
3 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded ( 3/ 4 cup) *other cheeses could be used here such as an aged white cheddar but Gruyere is the traditional choice)
Pinch of cayenne pepper
“Everything” sprinkles
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Fit pastry bad with 1/ 2-inch round tip. Beat eggs and white together in 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
Bring water, butter, milk, and salt to boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in flour until combined and mixture clears sides of pan. Return saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly and using smearing motion until mixture looks like shiny, wet sand and tiny beads of fat appear on bottom of saucepan, about 3 minutes (mixture should register 175 to 180 degrees).
Immediately transfer hot mixture to food processor (or a mixmaster with paddle attachment) and process (mix on medium speed) for 10 seconds to cool slightly. With processor running, gradually add beaten eggs in steady stream and process until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl, then and Gruyere and cayenne and process until smooth, thick, sticky paste forms about 30 seconds.
Fill pastry bag with warm mixture and pipe onto 2-inch mounds, space about 1 inch apart, on prepared sheet (you should have about 16 mounds). Use back of teaspoon dipped in cold water to even out shape and smooth surface of mounds. Pinch “everything” sprinkles and gently drop onto surface of dough mounds. Bake for 15 minutes; then, without opening oven door, reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue to bake until golden brown and fairly firm (cheese puffs should not be soft and squishy), 8 to 10 minutes longer.
Remove sheet from oven and cut 3/ 4-inch slit into side of each cheese puffs with paring knife to release steam. Return cheese puffs to oven, turn off oven, and prop oven door open with handle of wooden spoon. Let cheese puffs dry until centers are just moist (but not wet) and surfaces are crisp, about 45 minutes.
Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated, Special Collector’s Edition, “All Time Best French Recipes”, 2016
Tuna Salad Filling
1 tin flaked white tuna (184g/6 oz)
4 ounces cream cheese, softened/room temperature
2 tablespoons sour cream, Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
2 green onion stalks, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tender herbs such as parsley, chervil and dill
1 tablespoon chopped drained capers
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with paddle attachment on medium speed with an electric mixer until it is all evenly distributed or beat vigorously by hand with a spatula. Mixture should be smooth and the tuna well broken up.
Spoon or pipe onto bottoms of puffs and gently allow the top of the puff to sit on the mixture. Serve immediately.
Empty puffs can be stored at room temperature for 24 hours or kept frozen for up to one month in an airtight container.
Reheat empty puffs on a baking sheet at 350 degrees - 5 minutes if from room temperature and 8 minutes if from frozen.
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