French Provincial Cooking - Elizabeth David [118]
LA GOUGÈRE
With the exception of the delicious cheese of Époisses, in Upper Burgundy, there is no notable Burgundian cheese, but the Burgundians are great cheese eaters for the obvious reason that cheese is one of the best accompaniments for wine. Cheese dishes may be served as a first course or as a savoury; in this case it will come after the cheeses themselves, to go with the last glass of wine, before the sweet. The gougère, a kind of cheese pastry made with choux paste similar to that used for éclairs, is the great cheese dish of the country. It is rather tricky to make, so if it doesn’t come right the first time one just has to persevere.
To make a gougère for six people, the ingredients are pint of milk, lb. of flour, 2 oz. of butter, 4 eggs, 3 oz. of Gruyère cheese, salt and pepper.
The paste is made as follows: bring the milk to the boil and then let it get quite cold. Strain it. Put in the butter cut in small pieces, and a teaspoon of salt and a little freshly-ground pepper, and bring rapidly to the boil so that the butter and milk amalgamate. Pour in, all at one go, the sifted flour. Stir until a thick smooth paste is obtained; it will come away clean from the sides and bottom of the pan.
Off the fire stir in the eggs one at a time, each egg to be thoroughly incorporated before the next is added. When the paste is shiny and smooth add the cheese, cut into very small dice, reserving 1 dessertspoon of the little cubes. Leave to cool a little.
Lightly butter a baking sheet. Take tablespoons of the mixture and arrange them, like so many half eggs, in a circle about 7 inches across, the space in the middle being about 2 inches. When you have made one circle, put the remaining spoonfuls on top of the first, so that you have quite a high wall round the central well. Pat into an even shape with a palette knife. Place the little pieces of reserved cheese on top and all round. Brush with milk. Cook in the centre of a preheated oven at a moderately hot temperature, Gas No. 5, 375 deg. F., for about 45 minutes.
Although the gougère begins to smell cooked after the first 20 minutes, do not be taken in; it will have swelled up and turned golden brown, but it is not ready. If you can resist, do not open the oven, because of the risk of the mixture collapsing. If you feel you have to look, open and shut the door of the oven very gently. To test when the gougère is done press lightly with a finger in the centre of the cake; it should be firm to the touch. If it is too soft it will fall the instant you take it from the oven into a sad flat pancake.
If you are going to serve the gougère hot (it makes a good first dish at luncheon) transfer it for 5 minutes to a warm place such as the plate drawer before transferring it to the serving dish, or if you cook by gas, turn the oven off and leave it 5 more minutes. If to be served cold, ease the cake off the baking sheet on to a wire cake rack so that there is air all round it, but keep it away from sudden draughts.
TARTE À L’OIGNON, or ZEWELWAÏ
ONION AND CREAM TART
This is the famous Alsatian speciality. It makes a truly lovely first course.
For the pastry: 4 oz. plain flour, 2 oz. butter or 1 oz. each of butter and meat dripping, 1 egg, salt, water.
For the filling: 1 lb. onions, the yolks of 3 eggs, a good pint of thick cream, seasonings including nutmeg and plenty of freshly-milled pepper, butter and oil for cooking the onions.
Make a well in the sieved flour, put the butter cut in small pieces, the egg and a good pinch of salt in the middle. Blend quickly and lightly but thoroughly, with the fingertips. Add a very little water, just enough to make the dough moist, but it should come cleanly away from the bowl or board. Place the ball of dough on a floured board and with the heel of your palm gradually stretch the paste out, bit by bit, until it is a flat but rather ragged-looking sheet. Gather it up again, and repeat the process. It should all be done lightly and expeditiously, and is extremely simple although