Gougères (French Cheese Puffs) and French Country Cooking

French Country Cooking: Authentic Recipes from Every Region, written by Françoise Branget, features 180 recipes submitted by the members of the French National Assembly from across France and the overseas departments. A few highlights include Eggs Poached in a Burgundy Wine Reduction, Breton Apple Cake, Savoyard Bread Pudding, Cabbage Soup with Smoked Pork and Sausage, and Praline Ice Cream. I will also be sharing a recipe for Gougères (French Cheese Puffs) following the review.

Disclosure: I received this copy from Arcade Publishing in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

French Country Cooking

French Country Cooking was originally published in 2011 in France by Le Cherche Midi Éditeur. It was translated into English by Jeannette Seaver in 2012.

The resulting compilation is a variety of dishes representing the diversity of French regional cuisine, from simple comfort food to the more complex and extravagant meals meant to impress.

There are no specific chapters, but the recipes are organized based on departments in alphabetical order. Each department includes 1-5 recipes. The contents page has a full listing of the recipes for easy reference. 

The name of the dish is provided in English and French. Every recipe has a headnote with background information on the French department it comes from, a note from the deputy of that department, and tips for the dish.

Measurements are provided in US Customary. Most of the recipes include a full page photograph of the finished product.

Gougères (French Cheese Puffs)

I was immediately drawn to the Gougères, French savory pastry bites originally from Yonne in Burgundy. The little cheese puffs are created using a choux dough (Pâte à Choux) that becomes light and airy when baked with a hollow center.

They are definitely a perfect finger food for the holiday table. The authors recommend pairing them with wine such as a Burgundy wine or Kir, the aperitif of Chablis wine laced with black currant liqueur.

We enjoyed the Gougères simply warm from the oven, but they can also be stuffed with food such as ham and mushrooms.

A Few Gougère Tips

You can mix and match different types of grated cheese, but the most traditional are Gruyère, Comté, or Emmental. I went with Gruyère.

After incorporating the flour, allow the dough to cool briefly (it should still be warm to touch) before adding the eggs, one at a time. If the dough is too hot or if you don’t work quick enough, you may end up with pieces of scrambled egg.

Make sure the egg is completely incorporated before adding the next one. The result should be a smooth, soft dough.

The dough will be a bit sticky. I like to transfer the dough to a pastry bag with a 3/4 inch (2 centimeter) round tip to pipe the individual pastries. You can even use a small cookie scoop to scoop out the rounds. If forming by hand, it may help to very lightly wet your hands with water to make it easier to form into balls.

I piped the dough into ping pong ball (or cherry tomato)-sized rounds as the recipe stated, but they can be made larger to be used as a first course.

Don’t open the oven door until the Gougères are puffed and starting to turn golden. If you let out too much heat, they may not rise properly and develop that airy center.

The cheese puffs are best the day they are prepared. I definitely preferred them warm from the oven.

Looking for more recipes with cheese?

Try my:

• Chäschüechli (Swiss Cheese Tartlets)
• Pan de Yuca (Cassava Cheese Bread)
• Tequeños (Venezuelan Cheese Sticks)

Other Dishes

I also made Storzapreti (Quenelles of Swiss Chard and Cheese), Flamiche aux poireaux (Leek Tart), Poulet au curry (Curried Chicken), and Gâteau au chocolat (Chocolate Cake).

Storzapreti (Quenelles of Swiss Chard and Cheese) from Haute-Corse are little dumplings made of Swiss chard (or spinach), mint, brocciu (or ricotta), and parmesan. They were delicious paired with a tomato sauce.

Flamiche aux poireaux (Leek Tart) is a regional specialty from Somme, Picardy. The recipe comes from Marie-Christine Klopp’s Michelin star restaurant in Roye. Leeks are reduced with butter and water to form a compote, then mixed with cream to create a filling for the puff pastry discs.

Poulet au curry (Curried Chicken) comes from the department of Seine-Saint-Denis. Pieces of chicken are simmered in a white wine sauce lightly seasoned with curry powder. The sauce is finished off with the addition of crème fraîche.

Gâteau au Chocolat (Chocolate Cake) from Paris is a simple cake made from dark chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs, and a little flour. The egg whites are beaten to add the light texture to the cake. I served the slices with scoops of vanilla ice cream. They can also be topped with powdered sugar.

French Country Cooking is a great choice for those interested in regional French cooking. Recipes range from appetizers to desserts (but no beverages) with quick and easy meals to others requiring longer prep.

Most of the ingredients are easy to find in the average American grocery store. A few of the more difficult to locate ingredients include French andouille, certain cheeses, orange blossom water, chickpea flour, boudin blanc sausages, and foie gras.

Gougères (French Cheese Puffs) Recipe

Excerpt from French Country Cooking: Authentic Recipes from Every Region

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Gougères (French Cheese Puffs)

A recipe for Gougères (French Cheese Puffs)! These little cheese-packed bites are baked until golden with a light and airy texture.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine French

Keyword appetizer, cheese, France, French, pastry

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 milliliters) water
• 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter
• Pinch salt
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 3 ounces (85 grams, about 1 cup) grated Gruyère or Comté cheese reserve a couple of tablespoons for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C).
• In a saucepan, bring to a boil the water, butter, salt, and pepper.
• When the butter is melted and the water boils, remove from heat and put the flour in all at once, stirring vigorously.
• Return to medium heat and stir until dough detaches itself from sides of pot. Set aside to cool until lukewarm.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, while continuing to stir to achieve a smooth paste.
• Stir in cheese, reserving a small amount for topping.
• Line a large baking sheet, or two, with parchment paper.
• Divide dough into small balls, the size of a ping-pong ball, and place 1 1/2 inches (4 centimeters) apart. (I like to pipe the dough onto the baking sheets using a pastry bag.)
• Sprinkle tops with remaining cheese. (Or you can opt to cut thin strips of cheese and place one or two on top.)
• Bake 25-30 minutes until gougères are puffed high, and golden. Serve.