Ramequins and Gougère Paste

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •2-quart heavy saucepan for the referenced choux
• •Stout wooden spoon or firm silicone spatula
• •Large heavy baking sheet
• •Parchment paper
• •Two teaspoons or a piping bag with a 1/2-inch plain tip

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oven

   Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 400°F (200°C). Line a large, heavy baking sheet with parchment. The oven must be fully heated before the paste is ready, because choux left waiting in a cool kitchen loses some of the force that should lift it.

2. 2

   Prepare the choux

   Prepare one quarter of the Ordinary Pâte à Choux (No. 2373) formula, replacing its water with the measured whole milk and omitting both sugar and orange-flower water. Follow its panade and egg method until every addition of egg has disappeared completely into the paste. If the paste turns slick or separates as the egg enters, stop adding more and beat firmly until it closes into a smooth mass again. Ça se rattrape.

3. 3

   Fold cheese last

   Only when all the eggs have been absorbed, fold in the diced Gruyère. Turn the paste just until the cheese is evenly distributed, keeping the dice intact. Do not add the cheese while the eggs are still being worked in; its fat coats the paste and weakens the rise. Cheese last is not ceremony. It is the structure of the gougère.

4. 4

   Shape the gougères

   Drop rounded tablespoons of paste onto the prepared sheet, making 20 to 24 mounds and leaving about 2 inches (5 cm) between them. Two damp teaspoons work perfectly well, so a piping bag is optional. Tuck in any long points with a wet fingertip, since thin peaks color before the centers have finished baking.

5. 5

   Bake to bronze

   Bake for 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C), then lower the oven to 375°F (190°C) without opening the door. Continue for 12 to 15 minutes, until the gougères are deeply golden, firm along their ridges, and light when lifted. Keep the door closed for at least the first 18 minutes. Open it early and the fragile shells can collapse before they have set.

6. 6

   Dry and serve

   Pierce the side of each gougère once with the tip of a small knife, turn off the oven, and return them for 5 minutes with the door slightly ajar. This lets trapped moisture escape so the shells stay crisp rather than softening from within. Bring them to the table warm, while the diced Gruyère remains tender inside. À table!

Chef Tips

• •At one-quarter scale, the referenced formula calls for four fair-sized eggs. Medium eggs best preserve the book's proportions; four large eggs can loosen a small batch considerably.
• •Cut the Gruyère into small dice, don't grate it. Grated cheese disappears into the paste and releases its fat everywhere, while dice leave distinct molten pockets without burdening the whole structure.
• •Milk gives these gougères quicker color than water-based choux. If they are darkening before the shells feel firm, lower the oven to 350°F (175°C) after the first 18 minutes and give them a few minutes longer.
• •Serve with a dry Burgundy white, especially Bourgogne Aligoté or Chablis. The wine's acidity meets the butter and Gruyère cleanly, which is why gougères have remained such faithful cellar companions.

Advance Preparation

• •Shape the unbaked gougères on a lined tray and freeze until firm, then transfer them to a covered container. Bake directly from frozen, allowing about 3 to 5 extra minutes.
• •Baked gougères can stand for several hours at room temperature. Recrisp them for 5 to 7 minutes in a 350°F (175°C) oven, then serve at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 75g)