I really didn't know what I was in for with this recipe. A cheesy choux pastry turned into a tart crust and topped with vegetables? It's a bit intimidating going into a recipe with no idea what the outcome should be, not even a photo. On the other hand, it's liberating not having any expectations-- it eliminates disappointment. So did I make the recipe correctly? I have no idea. But did I like the outcome? You bet.
I made the recipe without any significant changes. The only issue I had was with the pan-- I didn't have an 11" tart pan, so I used an 11" cake pan, which was considerably deeper than a tart pan and might have affected how it baked up. Also, it was black. Fearing it would over brown the tart, I covered it in aluminum foil.
Here's what I used:
3 medium red, yellow, and/or green sweet peppers, sliced
1/2 of a red onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 cup milk
5 tablespoons butter, cut up (unsalted)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
4 eggs
1 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (1/4 cup)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; set aside. In a large skillet cook peppers, onion, and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until tender. Stir in basil and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
In a small saucepan combine milk, butter, salt, and pepper. Bring to boiling, then remove from heat and, using a wooden spoon, vigorously beat in flour. Reduce heat and return saucepan to heat. Stir for 2 minutes. Transfer dough mixture to a large bowl and add the 4 ounces of blue cheese. (The large bowl is necessary because bits of dough go flying, and also so the batter isn't too deep, otherwise it climbs up the beaters.) Using a hand mixer, beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed after each addition, until each egg is fully incorporated.
Spread dough evenly in the prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. Spread vegetable mixture over dough. Bake 40 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Sprinkle remaining blue cheese over tart before serving.
I didn't have fresh rosemary, so I used dried (1 teaspoon), but that wasn't very nice. I should have added it early into the peppers so it could absorb some moisture and soften, but I added it at the end, as directed. It ended up as sharp little sticks and probably didn't add much flavor.
With all the cheese, I was concerned about its being too salty, so I used unsalted butter, but then added 1/4 teaspoon of salt. This was a little too salty for a sizable serving, but adequate for a side serving. Ultimately, you can add salt as desired, or use salted butter. Generally, I like something salty with something bland, so either a salty crust and bland topping, or salty topping and bland crust.
The dough didn't rise much, which actually didn't surprised me. I'm not sure why it's baked first for 10 minutes, but I suspect it's to firm the surface a bit. After 10 minutes, my batter was still wet in the middle. (This might have been due to using a deeper pan.) I contemplated leaving it in long enough to dry the surface, but plodded ahead as directed and dumped the peppers on the raw batter. In the end, I baked it about 15 - 20 minutes longer than called for; it didn't even show the slightest hope of rising until after 45 minutes. I don't know that the batter would have risen much anyway under the weight of the peppers. The end result was a moist and soft but firm crust, sort of like cold polenta. It cut easily with a fork and held up to a stab, but not a slice you could pick up with your hands.
Conclusion: This was a happy surprise, much like a cheesy vegetable pizza with a soft, supple crust. It wasn't too rich, which I'd been concerned about. With a green salad, it would make a nice light lunch. Other soft vegetables, such as mushrooms, would be a good addition.
Recipe: "Mixed Peppers in a Gougère Crust" via Better Homes and Gardens magazine, September 2010
(Also see this recipe for a gougère tart.)
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