Gougères With Chives And Black Pepper

Description

Source: TASTY PRIDE - TASTY

Early in my career I was accepted to be a stagiaire, or unpaid apprentice, at École de Cuisine La Varenne in France. The school was founded by a woman named Anne Willan, and one of the first recipes I learned there was for gougères, a savory version of the pastry dough pâte à choux. Shortly after my arrival, an unscrupulous chef-instructor informed Anne that I was a lesbian, attempting to buy his way into her good graces with a snippet of gossip. I was furious at being outed, especially to my new boss, who was somewhat formidable, but Anne never once mentioned it, and the instructor’s attempt at scandal did not in any way impact my learning or our work together. Years later, I became romantically involved with my literary agent—now my life partner—who happened to be Anne’s longtime agent as well. It was important to me—to us—that Anne not discover our relationship through catty hearsay like in the past, so I met Anne for lunch and explained how my working relationship with Lisa had transformed into love. Upon hearing the news, she broke into a broad smile, patted my hand, and said in her crisp English accent, “Well done!” This recipe is an updated version of those same gougères I learned to make while studying in France—seasoned with black pepper and chives for added excitement. It’s a recipe that reminds me of my journey to finding love.- Virginia Willis

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 5 large eggs
• ¾ cup grated Gruyère cheese (about 2½ ounces)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup minced fresh chives

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
3. In a medium pot, bring ¾ cup water, the butter, and salt to a boil over high heat.
4. Once boiling, remove the pot from the heat and add the flour.
5. Immediately stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the flour is completely absorbed and the mixture is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the pot, about 1 minute.
6. Return the pot to low heat and continue stirring for another 30 to 60 seconds, until the dough forms a ball.
7. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, beat 4 eggs into the dough, one at a time, stirring until each one is fully incorporated before adding the next.
8. Continue stirring until the dough is thick and glossy.
9. Add the grated cheese, black pepper, and chives, and stir until thoroughly combined.
10. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip or to a zippered plastic bag with a ½-inch opening cut off one corner.
11. If using parchment, pipe 4 small dots of batter on the corners of the baking sheet to help glue it down.
12. Pipe 12 mounds of dough about 2 inches in diameter onto the baking sheet, spacing at least 2 inches apart.
13. Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl, then brush over the dough mounds.
14. Dip a fingertip in the egg wash and gently press down any points.
15. Bake until the gougères are puffed and lightly browned, about 25 minutes.
16. Let the puffs cool slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
17. Serve warm or at room temperature.

YIELD: MAKES 12 PUFFS