Gougere Herb Salad Canapes

The Washington Post, July 9, 2008

• • Course: Appetizer, Snack
• • Features: Meatless

Summary:

Former chef Odessa Piper gives extra gougeres a second life by re-crisping them and filling with a bright lemon vinaigrette and fresh basil. (Your own favorite vinaigrette may be substituted.)

Making gougeres can be daunting; see her accompanying tips. One of them is to preheat the eggs. Once you have mastered gougeres and stashed some in your freezer, you can turn them into a treat for company in a matter of minutes. Serve these canapes immediately after assembly, ideally while they are warm.

Wine importer Terry Theise says these go well with a dry, snappy glass of a young Gruener Veltliner (Austrian): "Minerals in wine really like herb flavors in food."

Makes 24 canape-size puffs

Ingredients:

For the gougeres

• • 4 large organic eggs
• • 1 cup water
• • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
• • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) organic unsalted butter
• • 1 cup flour, sifted
• • 1 cup (6 ounces) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

For the lemon vinaigrette

• • 1/2 teaspoon pulped shallot (from 1 medium bulb; see NOTES)
• • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
• • Pinch flaked sea salt, preferably Maldon (may substitute coarse kosher salt)
• • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, preferably organic
• • 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice wine vinegar
• • A drizzle of honey, or to taste (may substitute a pinch of sugar)
• • 1/4 cup combination of mild olive oil and grapeseed oil

For the herb salad

• • 4 ounces mixed herbs and greens, including one-third basil leaves and one-third percent arugula; the remaining can be any combination of sorrel, tarragon, watercress, cilantro, flat-leaf parsley or equal parts basil and arugula
• • 1 teaspoon mild olive oil
• • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
• • Pinch sea salt, preferably Maldon (may substitute coarse kosher salt)
• • Freshly ground black pepper
• • 24 umbels from the heads of flowering dill or other edible flower petals, for garnish (see NOTES)

Directions:

For the gougeres: If using frozen gougeres, defrost them.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use hot tap water to warm the bowl of a stand mixer and the mixer paddle attachment. Place the eggs in a bowl of hot tap water, refreshing the water 2 times so that the eggs are warmed through.

Combine the water, salt and butter in a medium saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add the sifted flour all at once; cook for about 1 minute, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides of the saucepan and forms a ball.

Drain the water from the egg bowl and wipe the warmed mixing bowl dry. Immediately transfer the dough to the warmed mixer bowl and place on the mixer stand. Fit with the warmed paddle attachment; beat on medium speed.

Crack one egg at a time into a separate dish, then add to the dough; beat to incorporate completely before adding each of the remaining eggs. When they have all been added, stop the motor and use a spatula to scrape the bottom of bowl and remix. Add the grated cheese; beat on low just to combine. Taste and adjust the salt as needed. (Do not worry about overmixing the dough, but work quickly so the dough stays warm.)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.

Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch diameter round or star tip (or use a large resealable plastic food storage bag and cut off a bottom corner to create a diagonal 1/2-inch hole). Pipe the dough into 24 rounds on the baking sheet.
(To make the puffs come out tall enough to fill, each piping should be 1 inch wide by 1 1/2 inches tall. Do that by barely circling the pastry tip around the center point while pushing the dough vigorously from the bag; space them 1 inch apart.)
Bake for about 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the gougeres are evenly golden; they will sound hollow when lightly tapped.

For the lemon vinaigrette: Combine the pulped shallot, mustard, salt, pepper, lemon juice, vinegar and honey in a bowl; slowly whisk in the oil to form an emulsified vinaigrette. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

For the herb salad: Spread a clean, dry dish towel on a baking sheet so the sides of the towel can be folded in.
Combine the mix of herbs and arugula in a colander; gently wash and spin-dry in a salad spinner, then transfer the greens to the dish towel; fold over the ends of the towel to cover loosely and refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
Cut off the top third of each gougere and place the open gougeres on the baking sheet. (The tops can be warmed as well or reserved for another use.) Bake for a few minutes, until slightly crisped, then transfer the baking sheet to a heatproof work surface.

While the gougeres are still slightly warm, spoon 1/2 teaspoon of the vinaigrette into the base of each one; reserve the remaining vinaigrette for another use.
Transfer the herb mix from its towel to a medium bowl. Drizzle the mix with the oil and toss to coat completely, then add the lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste; toss gently to coat evenly. Stuff a small handful of the herb salad into each gougere, allowing the greens to poke out merrily. Garnish each with an umbel of flowering dill or other edible flower petal.

NOTES: To pulp shallot, grate it against a rasp or Microplane zester until a small clump forms and drops. The pulped shallot will be less harsh on the palate.

An umbel is an individual bracket from the fresh flowering head of the dill plant, with a diameter ranging from the size of a dime to a nickel.

Tips for Great Gougeres, From Odessa Piper:

* Pre-warm the eggs in the shell; work with warm batter.
* Practice makes perfect. Start with small gougeres piped to the size of a quarter before progressing to larger puffs.
* The larger the gougeres, the more likely they are to deflate if taken from the oven before they are set.
* Use a high-quality, hard and aged grating cheese, such as true Parmigiano-Reggiano.
* Gougeres need to be a little on the salty side to work their savory magic.
* Taste the batter after you've added your cheese and add more salt if needed. The salt in this recipe is the base level.

Recipe Source:

From Odessa Piper.

83 calories, 6g fat, 3g saturated fat, 48mg cholesterol, 122mg sodium, 4g carbohydrates, n/a dietary fiber, n/a sugar, 3g protein.