Sassy Southern Cooking with a French Twist

gruyere

The Best Little Thanksgiving Appetizer Ever

Savory Three Cheese & Pepper Gougeres are Fast, Sexy, and Make-Ahead Easy 

Thanksgiving is a week away, and almost everyone I know (including me) is planning their menu.  A lot of people focus on the actual meal, but there is a lot of stomach-rumbling  downtime while guests sit around, sipping cocktails, and awaiting the feast. Why not fill this time and eager bellies with something light, elegant, easy to eat (one, two, three, pop, and she’s gone!), and something the cook can prepare wholly in advance? The answer, my culinary savvy friends, is savory cheese puffs, or as the French call them, Gougeres (gooj-air). They also go fabulously well with Champagne.

There is a common misconception about cream puffs, or anything involving pate a choux, which is actually more like a dough than a pastry. Many people think it’s hard to make or delicate or fussy. It’s not. It’s about the easiest thing to make (it actually likes to get beaten up a bit to activate the gluten) and if it falls flat, it’s quick and easy enough to whip up another batch. What I love about it, is you can add virtually anything to it, and you can make it ahead, cool, freeze, and reheat just before serving.  From my cookbook, The French Cook – Cream Puffs & Eclairs (Gibbs Smith, 2013), I hope this will make it to your holiday table:

 

Gougeres aux Trois Fromages et au Poivre

(Cheese Puffs with Three Cheeses and Pepper)

Yields 24 to 30 choux

Few things in life can beat a warm, crunchy cheese puff fresh out of the oven. This recipe includes a bit of freshly ground black pepper for kick (optional) and a combination of aged white cheddar, Gruyere, and Parmesan cheeses blended into the warm choux and melted just before baking.  Especially sturdy because of the cheese, these puffs freeze very well and reheat in a snap for instant entertaining.

Cheese Puffs with Three Cheeses and Pepper from The French Cook – Cream Puffs & Eclairs (Gibbs Smith, 2013) by Holly Herrick. Photo by Alexandra DeFurio.

Master Recipe for Savory Cream Puffs

1 cup water

3/4 stick cold unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup bread flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt or kosher salt

4 large eggs (about 1 cup), room temperature and beaten together

Remaining ingredients for cheese puffs:

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 cup grated aged white cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Egg wash: 1 egg yolk, splash of water, pinch of salt, blended together.

Method:

Preheat oven to 425F.

Prepare the Master Recipe base. Line two half-sheet baking pans with silicon mats or parchment paper. Measure all ingredient and have them ready before starting to prepare the choux. In a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan, heat the water and butter together over medium-high heat, stirring once or twice to melt the butter. Then reduce the heat to medium.

Sift together the two flours and salt over a medium bowl. Add the sifted dry ingredients all at once to the butter and water mixture, and set the bowl nearby. Stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon to help bring it into one cohesive ball. Continue stirring, less vigorously, until the pastry pulls away from the sides of the pan, another minute or so. Turn the dough out into the reserved bowl and let sit for about 1 minute or until it is cool enough to touch comfortably with your fingertip for about 10 seconds. Add half of the beaten eggs (about 1/2 cup) to the pastry. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until it looks uniform and glossy, about 1 minute. Add half of the remaining egg mixture (about 1/4 cup) and continue to stir until it is uniform and glossy. Repeat with the remaining egg mixture.

While the dough is still warm, stir in the ground pepper, cheddar, Gruyere and Parmesan. Blend with a wooden spoon until just melted and incorporated. Drop onto the lined baking sheets into rounded teaspoon sized balls. It’s much easier if you dip the spoon in water each time before dipping into the dough. Flatten the tops gently with your finger tips and brush lightly with the egg wash. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Turn off the oven, open the door, and let the choux stand for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cooling rack, and when cool enough to handle, pierce the bottom of each gently with a knife. Serve immediately OR freeze for up to several weeks and thaw and reheat in a 425 oven just before serving.

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I’m hoping this “demystifies the puff” for you, as I like to say. They are so delightful and delicious and will add joy to  your Thanksgiving or anytime you desire. I make them in batches and freeze them for easy entertaining anytime of the year.

Wishing you the happiest and most blessed Thanksgiving holiday.

From our table to yours,

Author, Chef, Cookbook writer Holly Herrick Holly and Rocky

 

 

 

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Ringing in the New Year with French Onion Soup

Hardly anything I can think of trumps the utterly simple deliciousness of a well-prepared French onion soup. Similarly, I can think of nothing utterly worse than a thin, flavorless ill-prepared version. Like all dishes with very few ingredients, the key is making each one count. For an exquisite French onion soup it boils down to three things:  a top-quality, rich dark beef stock, long, slowly simmered caramelized onions, and Gruyere or Comte cheese for topping. Therefore, if at all possible make your own stock, don’t rush the onions, and go for the best quality imported cheese you can afford. Processed Swiss will work in a pinch but the flavor and color will be diluted. Aside from its heady layers of sweet onions marrying with nutty, bubbling cheese and a rich broth, this is an ideal soup for entertaining (such as New Year’s Eve or Day!). All of the components can be made ahead and put together at the last minute before serving, and I’ve never met a soul (French or otherwise) that doesn’t love the stuff.

(Adapted from pre-published pages for The French Cook: Soups and Stews, Gibbs Smith, Fall 2014)

French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup

Soupe a L’Oignon Francaise

French Onion Soup

(Makes 6 servings)

Special equipment: Six 1 1/3 cup oven-proof bowls or ramekins

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 large sweet onions (preferably Vidalia), or substitute regular white onions, peeled halved and thinly sliced (about 6 cups)

3 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped

3/4 cup good quality white wine (suggest Chardonnay)

1/2 cup dry vermouth

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

4 cups best-quality, unsalted beef stock (preferably homemade)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the croutons and cheese garnish:

12 slices 1 or 2 day old French baguette bread, cut into 1/2”-thick slices

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups grated Gruyere or Comte cheese

In a 5 1/2 quart Dutch oven or similarly sized soup pot, melt the olive oil and butter together over medium high heat. When melted, add the onions, garlic and a generous dash of salt and pepper. Stir to coat. Continue cooking another 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all of the onion “water” is cooked off and the onions have become quite soft. Add the thyme and continue cooking. The onions will start turning golden and caramelizing in 10 minutes. This is what you want. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Increase heat to high, add the wine, stirring to pick up any brown/caramelized bits and reduce by half. Add the vermouth and also reduce by half. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the soup, and stir to mix into the onions, cooking for one minute. Add the beef stock, stir. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cooking another 15 minutes, uncovered. Meanwhile, turn the broiler on high. Arrange the croutons in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle each side lightly with olive oil and rub it into the bread. Place the sheet on the top shelf and broil until just golden on each side, turning once. You can stop here and store the soup separately from the garnishes overnight in a refrigerator or continue to finish the soups. To serve, taste the soup again, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Ladle boiling hot soup into each bowl/ramekin. Top each with 2 or 3 croutons and about 1/2 cup grated cheese. Arrange on a baking sheet and broil until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 4 to 6 minutes. Serve immediately with fresh thyme sprigs for garnish if desired.

Bon appetit et Joyeux 2014!

 

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Mac ‘n Cheese Dreams

The chilly nights and brisk days of fall bring with them the siren call for some serious comfort food. Truly, what makes better comfort food than a really excellent mac ‘ n cheese? I love to marry disparate cheeses in a creamy bechamel, melt them down, stir them into some pasta, and bake. The key is to use cheeses that pair well – one or two nutty, another one or two perhaps slightly sweet, or even a nice, mild blue cheese. You want to stick with cheeses with a nice melt factor and the best quality you can afford.

This recipe is a delicious way to use over left-over cheese and it truly warms the heart and soul. It comes together quickly. Grate/chop the cheese while the pasta cooks, prepare the bechamel base, whisk in the cheese, toss and bake. Twenty-five minutes later you have a steaming casserole custom made for cheese lovers. Or, prep ahead, refrigerate overnight and bake it off the next evening. With a side of steamed or roasted asparagus, it makes a dreamy, seasonal spring meal.

Creamy with a sharp edge from blended cheeses, this mac ‘n cheese gets a buttery, golden bread crumb crust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mac ‘n Cheese Dreams

(Serves 12)

1 pound shell pasta, #50 size (I like De Cecco’s conchiglie rigate)

Cold water to cover

3 tablespoons kosher salt or sea salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped Morbier

1/2 cup coarsely chopped Brie, rind removed

2 cups grated Gruyere

2 cups grated Muenster

For the cheese sauce base/bechamel:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons All Purpose flour

4 cups (1 quart) skim milk

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (Note: season according to the saltiness of the cheese. Better to add more later if needed once the cheese has been added).

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

For the bread crumbs:

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup plain bread crumbs

kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Generously butter a large baking dish (I used a 4.5 liter Corningware baking dish). Bring a large pot of cold water combined with 3 tablespoons salt up to a rolling boil. Add pasta and stir to blend. Reduce heat to medium high and continue cooking until the pasta is al dente, 10  – 11 minutes. Drain well in a colander. Set aside.

Meanwhile, prep the cheeses and set aside. For the bechamel, melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for about 2 minutes. Pour in the milk all at once and bring up to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper and add the thyme. Once at a boil, reduce to medium heat and whisk in the cheeses, in batches, until thoroughly combined and melted. Add the cooked, drained pasta to the cheese mixture and stir well to coat. Pour the mixture into the buttered baking pan. Set aside briefly.

In a separate saute pan, melt the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. When melted, add the bread crumbs and stir to coat. Cook for about 1 minute or until the bread crumbs are just golden. Crumble the bread crumbs evenly over the top of the mac ‘n cheese. Bake in the center of the oven until golden and bubbling, about 25 – 30 minutes. Allow 5 minutes to rest before serving. Sprinkle with some fresh chopped parsley if desired.

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