Gougère – Pastry Term of the Week

A Gougère is made from pate à choux that has been mixed with cheese, usually Gruyère, but other cheeses can be substituted. They may also contain herbs or small bits of ham or bacon. They come in a variety of sizes depending on the purpose. You may see them as small croutons at wine tastings, or 1.5”-2” filled with cheese or ham or mushrooms as an hors d’oeuvre.

They are thought to have originated in the Burgundy region of France in the 18th century. Recently, as choux is enjoying a renewed popularity, you’re seeing them more often.

At Les Madeleines we use them to make a Portobello sandwich. In addition to an aged Gruyère, our gougères have porcini powder and fresh thyme in the dough to make them even more flavorful. The sandwich also has sliced Gruyère melted onto the roasted mushroom, micro chives, roasted asparagus and a roasted garlic compound butter.