Ham Gougères

source: Le Cordon Bleu Home Collection: Quiches and Pastries

Choux Pastry

60 g plain flour
125 mL water
50g (1¾ oz) butter
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
2 eggs

• Sift flour onto wax paper. Place water, butter, salt and sugar in a pan. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat, and add all of the flour at once.
   

• Mix well using a wooden spoon. Return to the heat and mix until a smooth ball forms and the paste leaves the sides of the pan.
   

• Remove from the heat and place the paste in a bowl. Using a wooden spoon or electric beaters, add the eggs to the paste a little bit at a time, beating well.
   

• The mixture is ready to use when it is smooth, thick, and glossy.

Gougères

1 quantity of choux pastry
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of grated parmesan or gruyere cheese

30g, 1oz butter
30g, 1oz flour
1 cup milk
50g gruyere cheese, grated
100g smoked ham, very very finely diced
1 tsp mustard
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of white pepper

• Grease a baking tray. Preheat oven to 400F. Pipe the choux pastry with a 1cm nozzle onto the tray, making twelve 1cm by 1½cm logs. (Note: using a spoon is probably easier than using the pastry bag). Brush with the beaten egg, and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. When done, turn off the heat and open the oven door, but leave the pastries in the oven, to help dry out the interior of the pastries.
    
• To make the filling, melt the butter in a heavy based pan over low-to-medium heat. Sprinkle the flour into the butter and cook for 1-2 minutes without browning, stirring with a wooden spoon. Slowly add milk, whisking vigorously to eliminate lumps. Bring to the boil over medium heat, and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the cheese, ham, and mustard. Season to taste with salt, cayenne, and white pepper.
   
• Make a small hole in the base of each choux pastry. Pipe in the cheese filling. Serve.

Good hot or cold. Consider using green peppercorns and/or capers instead of ham.

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