Paul's Fantastic Gougére Filling

I was invited to a party, and planned to bring gouéres as an appetizer. 

I was having difficulty trying to figure out how I wanted to serve my appetizers; there are many ways to fill a gouére....from chicken salad, to tomato and cheese slices, or just plain cream cheese. Nothing I could think of sounded very appealing. I knew I wanted something a bit cheesy, a bit creamy, a nice hint of herbs. Possibly some greens. Something slightly savory.

Filled with indecision, I went online, and looked at many filling recipes. None of the recipes I saw really had all of the qualities I was looking for, so, I came up with this original recipe, which incorporates all of the elements I was looking for in a filling. And, most importantly, they are simply light and delicious!!

Skill level:

Ingredients:

Make 24 gouéres, and cool to room temperature (see recipe, previous post).

For the mouse:

1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 heaping teaspoon of finely chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon of finely chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon of curry powder
1/4 teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons of milk

1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of gelatin
1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese

Garnishments:

1 (3 ounce) package of prosciutto
1 ounce of fresh pea shoots (abavailable in the produce section of most specialty and gourmet markets)

Preparation:

Making the mousse:

Put cream cheese, rosemary, parsley, curry powder, lemon zest, milk, sugar, and gelatin in a bowl. Whip on high speed, using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, for 4 minutes, scraping bowl at 30 second intervals, until creamy. It will have the consistency of a light frosting, or mayonnaise.

All ingredients for the mousse, except the cheese, in the bowl.

The whisk attachment installed on the mixer,  whipping
the sour cream,  milk,  herbs, and spice.

Creamy mouse, awaiting the cheese.

By hand, stir in the cheese, until incorporated.  Cheese strands will be visible in the mix.  

Mouse, completed, with cheese strands visible.

Refrigerate the mousse while assembling the gougéres.

Assembly:

Typically, a 3 ounce package will have 8 slices (but I have seen them vary, slightly).  Cut the packaged prosciutto into thirds, which will yield 24 slices.

Cut gouéres in half,  I keep the halves together, as I have, on occasion, had mismatched tops.  

On the bottom half of each gouére, add a slice of prosciutto.  If the slice of prosciutto is too large, just fold it in half.  It does not have to be pretty.

Matched pastry tops and bottoms,
with prociutto on the lower half.

Take the pea shoots, and cut them at the leaf intersections, so  that there is a raw stem on one end, and a few leaves on the other  (see pictures, below).

Pea shoots, as I purchase them at the grocery.

A single pea shoot

Cut the shoot, just past each leaf cluster.

Remove mousse from refrigerator.  Add one slightly rounded teaspoon of mouse to each gouére, on top of the prosciutto slice.  If you end up with a bit extra of the mousse, just dollop a small amount on existing gouéres.

Take the cut pea shoots, two to there at a time, and put on top of the mousse,  allowing  the leaves and stems stick out of the gougére, a bit.  Like the mousse, if you have extra shoots, just add them to already topped gouéres.  If you run short, as pea shoots will vary, simply cut a few more from the bunch to finish topping the mousse.

Assembling the gougéres: bottom portion of the
pastry, prosiutto, herbed cream cheese mousse,
and a pinch of greens.

I work one set at a time, keeping tops
and bottoms of the pastries matched.

Put the tops on the pastries, and press down  gent ally.  This will even out the mousse, and allow it to be slightly visible on most of the gougéres.

Completes gougéres, with fillings sticking out slightly.

Arrenge on a plate, and refrigerate for about an hour and a half.  This will allow for the mouse to set, a but.

Ready to serve!

When ready to serve, remove the gougéres from the refrigerator, and allow to warm to room temperature.

Gougères; A Simple & Elegant Puff Pastry Appetizer

Gougères are a savory cheese choux pastry, originating from the Burgundy region of France.  This recipe is remarkably easy, and produce a wonderful appetizer, guaranteed to be a hit at any party.

Years ago, I found this recipe for gougéres on the Epicurious website, and I have made a couple of minor modifications to get the best (and simple) pastry possible.

If you have the skills to make chocolate chip cookies, you can certainly follow this recipe, and they turn out wonderfully, every time!

Skill level:

Yields 42 to 48 pastries.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole milk (2% also works well, just do not use skim, or fat free)

1/2 cup water

8 tablespoons (one cube) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour

5 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups coarsely grated cheese, such as Gruyère or sharp cheddar (about 6 ounces)

Instructions:

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

Bring the milk, water, butter, and salt to a rapid boil, in a medium saucepan, over high heat. Add the flour all at once, lower the heat to medium-low, and immediately start stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. The dough will come together and a light crust will form on the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring hard for another minute or two to dry the dough (the closer you can get to two minutes, the better). The dough will end up be very smooth, with a consistency of oily mashed potatoes.

Heating the milk and butter.

Stir vigorously until
stiff, shiny, and smooth
dough forms.

Adding flour to the
hot liquid, all at once.

Transfer the dough into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Let the dough sit for three to five minutes, to cool slightly. As the eggs will be added next, this reduces the risk of cooking the eggs on the hot dough, when mixing.

Add the eggs one at a time, making sure that each egg is completely incorporated before you add the next. Don't be concerned if the dough separates; by the time the last egg is added, the dough will recombine. 

Adding the first egg.

Combining eggs with the cooked dough.  It may separate,
but will come together by the time the last egg is added.

Dough, all eggs in, awaiting the
addition of the cheese.

Add the grated cheese, and mix very slowly until the cheese is mixed in, and the cheese strands are still visible in the dough. Once the dough is made, it should be spooned out immediately.

Using about 1 tablespoon of dough for each gougère, drop the dough from a spoon onto the lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of puff space between the mounds. Slide the baking sheets into the oven and immediately turn the oven temperature down to 375 degrees F. Bake for 12 minutes, then rotate the pans from front to back and top to bottom. Continue baking until the gougères are golden, firm, and, puffed, another 12 to 15 minutes. 

Remove from oven, and using a toothpick, poke a small hole in the top of each pastry, to allow steam to escape, and prevent the pastries from collapsing. Transfer the pans to racks to cool.

Serving gougères are good straight from the oven and at room temperature. I like them both ways, but I think you can appreciate them best when they're still warm. Serve with kir, white wine, or champagne.

Fresh from the oven, the loosely incorporated cheese
is visible (and sometimes slightly browned) in the pastry.

Often, gougères are served filled; if you choose to fill them, use a serrated knife to cut each gougére in half.  These can be filled numerous ways, using egg salad, chicken salad, slices of tomatoes & cheese, a dollop of cream cheese with a slice of cucumber, etc.

Using a serrated knife, cut the pastry.

Additional Notes:

The best way to store gougères is to shape the dough, freeze the mounds on a baking sheet, and then, when they are solid, lift them off the sheet and pack them airtight in plastic bags. (I usually only bake 24 gougères at a time, and freeze the remaining dough mounds for later use). Bake them straight from the freezer (no need to defrost),  just give them a minute or two more in the oven.