Alain Ducasse's Gougères

 From Food & Wine

They are delicious little French cheese puffs!

Ingredients : 

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

Large pinch of coarse salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

3 1/2 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (1 cup), plus more for sprinkling

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter, and salt; bring to a boil. Add the flour and stir it in with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms; stir over low heat until it dries out and pulls away from the side of the pan, about 2 minutes. Scrape the dough into a bowl; let cool for 1 minute. Beat the eggs into the dough, one at a time, beating thoroughly between each one. Add the cheese and a pinch each of pepper and nutmeg.

Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip and pipe tablespoon-size mounds onto the baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 22 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Serve hot, or let cool and refrigerate or freeze. Reheat in a 350°F oven until piping hot.

Note: When making the choux pastry, be sure that each egg is fully incorporated into the batter before adding the next. Don't worry if the batter separates and looks curdled at first. Keep beating, and it will come together nicely.

Spanish Croquetas

Based on the recipe from Leslie Zubeldia's Spanish Cookbook

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp oil

3 Tbsp of butter

3 or 4 Tbsp of flour

3 cups of milk

Filling of choice (chopped)

    Hard-boiled eggs

    Jamon serrano

    Chorizo

    Shredded chicken

    Sauteed mushrooms

    Shrimp (cooked)

    White fish (cooked)

2 eggs

Breadcrumbs

Salt

Oregano

Paprika

Garlic Powder

1 quart of oil (for frying)

Directions:

In a pot, melt the oil and butter together. Add in the flour gradually and mix in with a wooden spoon. Slowly add in the milk little by little, bringing to a boil to thicken the bechamel. The resulting bechamel should be VERY thick. This can take awhile, depending on your stove and other factors, it can take over 45 minutes. Mix in your choice of filling and cool prior to putting in the fridge. Let set for at least two hours, but ideally overnight. 

With two spoons, take the chilled filling and form them into rounds, roughly the size of a medium egg. Finish the formation with your hands. In a shallow bowl, mix the eggs together. In a separate bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and spices. Roll the formed croquetas in the breadcrumbs, then the egg, and again in the breadcrumbs, making sure they are fully covered on all sides (the first breading is optional and can be bypassed if desired). If you have prepared the croquetas in advance, cover with a damp clean towel to prevent them from drying out. 

For deep frying; In a large pot, heat the oil until hot (you can test this with a small morsel). Fry in batches until golden brown. Serve immediately while warm and top with parsley.

For pan frying: In a large pan, heat a layer of oil until hot (you can test this with a small morsel). Fry in batches until golden brown, turning to ensure both sides are cooked. Serve immediately while warm and top with parsley.

Original Recipe:

Creamy Mediterranean Tomato White Bean Skillet with Flatbread

Inspired by @nourishing.amy and flatbread recipe from Inspired Taste 

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, cubed

1 red onion, diced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

3 cloves of garlic, sliced

Salt

Thyme

1 can white beans

1 can coconut milk

1/2 tube of tomato paste

1 jar red pesto

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2-3 cups spinach

Pine nuts (for topping)

For the flatbread:

2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon pure maple syrup or sugar

3/4 cup (175ml) cold water

Vegetable oil for cooking

Directions:

Sautée the eggplant and onion over medium heat in some oil until softened. Add in the tomatoes and garlic and cook for a couple minutes. Season with salt and thyme. Add in the rest of the ingredients, except for the spinach and pine nuts. Bring to a simmer and let it cook for about 10 minutes. Mix in the spinach and remove from the heat. Top with pine nuts and enjoy with flatbread.

For the flatbread: 

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together until well blended. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture, and then add olive oil, maple syrup, and most of the water (saving a few tablespoons to add later as necessary). Switch to a rubber spatula or spoon and stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. If the dough seems dry, add the remaining water. When the dough comes together, transfer to a floured work surface and knead 5 to 10 times until smooth. Cover with a clean dish cloth and leave for 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into six equal pieces. Dust each piece in flour and roll into a disc that’s between 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch thick. (Rolling thinner will make thinner bread that’s less soft in the middle. Rolling thicker will make thicker, fluffier bread. Add one to two tablespoons of oil to a skillet placed over medium heat. When the oil looks shimmery, add a flatbread (or more if they fit), and cook until golden brown on one side, flip and cook until golden brown on the second side, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Transfer cooked flatbread to a plate, cover with a clean dish towel to keep warm, and then continue with the remaining flatbreads. If the skillet looks dry, add a little more oil before continuing.