Cheese gougères

Method

1. To make the parmesan craquelin, beat all the ingredients together to form a paste. Place in between two sheets of baking parchment and, using a rolling pin, spread nice and thin. Refrigerate until firm.

2. To make the gougères, put the butter and milk in a pan with 300ml/10fl oz water and bring to the boil. Add the sieved flour and mix well. Cook on a moderate heat for 10 minutes.

3. Place into the bowl of a food processor and mix on the lowest speed until the first lot of steam has gone, about 1–2 minutes. Gradually add in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, then add the Parmesan. Tip the mixture into a piping bag and pipe into small moulds. Freeze.

4. Place the frozen choux onto a silicone mat and place the craquelin on top. Bake in a combination steam oven at 165C for 15 minutes, with 100% humidity. Click the steam button twice for higher rise.

5. After 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 155C and the humidity to 75%. Cook for another 7 minutes. Reduce the humidity to 50% and cook for 7 minutes. Cook for a further 7 minutes at 0% humidity, or until the choux are golden and dry.

6. To make the cheese sauce, cook the butter and flour together for 20 minutes on a low heat to make a roux. Add the cheese and melt slowly. Increase the heat – this will allow the fat to come out and help to avoid any lumps.

7. Add the milk and stir with a whisk. The sauce should turn from cloudy to shiny. Pour in the cream and cook slowly on a low heat. The sauce will look very runny. Add the salt, chicken seasoning and Dijon mustard. Pour the sauce into a bowl to leave it to rest and cool to room temperature.

8. Pour the cheese sauce into a piping bag and cut off a small corner. Pipe some of the sauce into the bottom of the gougères.

9. To serve, pile the gougères onto a plate and top with a little flower of Tête de Moine cheese.