Gougère with Chicken Livers, Mushrooms and Marsala

, from Issue #16. September, 2015
Photography by Nick Tresidder.
Gougère with Chicken Livers, Mushrooms and Marsala

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

Gougère
300 ml cold water
100 grams butter, cut into small dice
120 grams flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
3 eggs, beaten
100 grams grated Gruyère cheese

Glaze
1 egg, beaten
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Filling
4 tablespoons olive oil
75 grams butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons chopped sage
500 grams large flat mushrooms, thickly sliced
400 grams chicken livers, cleaned and cut into large pieces
4 tablespoons Marsala
¼ cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons cream
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped
flat-leaf parsley

To serve
rocket leaves
crème fraîche

METHOD

Gougère: Preheat the oven to 200°C. Put the water and butter in a medium sized saucepan and slowly bring to the boil. Make sure the butter has melted before the water itself comes to the boil. Sift the flour and salt onto a piece of baking paper. As soon as the water comes to the boil, remove from the heat and tip in all the flour.

Immediately start beating with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth paste that comes away cleanly from the sides of the saucepan. Using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer, slowly beat in the eggs until you have a smooth and glossy paste. Stir in the Gruyère cheese.

To cook: Spoon or pipe heaped teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto a lined baking tray, placing them closely together to form 4 circles about 12 cm in diameter. Brush the tops with beaten egg and sprinkle over the Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes or until crisp and a good golden colour.

Filling: Heat the oil in a sauté pan and drop in the butter. When sizzling, add the mushrooms, garlic and sage and cook for 4-5 minutes until tender. Add the cream and bubble up until reduced and thick. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add a little more butter to the pan and cook the livers over a high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the Marsala and stock and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze and reduce. Season. The livers should be cooked but still a little pink in the centre. Combine the mushrooms and livers and stir in the flat-leaf parsley.

To serve: Split the hot gougères in half horizontally and put the base of each on a warm plate.

Top with rocket and spoon over the chicken livers. Replace the tops and garnish with a spoonful of crème fraiche and a sprig of flat-leaf parsley or a crisp fried sage leaf.