Food & Wine Pairings |
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Gougères are the nibble in Burgundy. That and a kir (dry white wine with a dash of crème de cassis), and you know you’re in Burgundy. Gougeres are cheese puffs made with pate a choux, one of those mother recipes of French pastry. They should be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are easy to make and extremely versatile.
Makes 36 (2-inch) Gougères:
- ¾ cup of water
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons to butter the baking tray
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup of flour
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 2/3 cup of finely diced Gruyere or Comté cheese
- ¼ cup of grated Gruyere or Comté cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
To finish:
- 4 tablespoons milk
- ¼ cup grated Gruyere or Comté cheese
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. and butter a large baking tray
Put the ¾ cup of water in a saucepan with the butter and ½ teaspoon of sea salt. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and stir in the flour all at once. Mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula until it forms a ball. Put the saucepan back on a low heat and stir the mixture vigorously for a minute or two to dry it out. Remove from heat and let cool five minutes.
Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture should be shiny and smooth, and should hold its shape when dropped from a spoon. If the mixture is too stiff, beat another egg in a small bowl and add it bit by bit until the mixture can be formed into balls. If the mixture is too soft, the Gougères will not puff and hold their shape.
Stir in the diced cheese and the cracked black pepper. Form small balls with a teaspoon, dropping them onto a lightly-buttered baking sheet. Brush them with the remaining milk, sprinkle over the grated cheese and bake them in the upper third of the oven for 20 minutes until puffed and golden. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Gougères can be baked ahead and rewarmed in the oven before serving.
Kir, named after a very hospitable mayor of Dijon, is traditionally made with Aligoté, the ‘second’ white grape of Burgundy. Originally, the dash of crème de cassis was meant to mask the acidity of the Aligoté, and many will serve it to you still as a way of getting away with cheap white wine. But use a good Bourgogne Blanc like the Borgeot Clos de la Carbonade, and you’ll have the ideal Burgundian aperitif.
Want the perfect wine to pair with your Gougères? Our online wine shop at burgundywine.com has a number of wines which could fit the bill.
For example, you could try the Domaine Germain Pere et Fils Saint Romain Blanc 2017. This Saint Romain white is taken seriously right from the start. Using 30% new oak and 8-9 months of aging, it’s a classy Chardonnay with the unique and superbly subtle Saint Romain minerality, dense, full and rich with elegant floral notes. We first came across this one on a restaurant wine list in the small commune of Santenay .We loved it so much that we went back the next day and got to know the owner to learn more…