Meal: Chicken and Bacon Gougere

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

Pastry:

1/4 cup butter, chopped

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Filling:

1/4 cup butter

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 red onion, chopped

3 uncooked bacon slices, chopped

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup cream

2 tsp wholegrain mustard

9 oz cooked chicken, chopped

handful chopped parsley

1 tbsp parmesan cheese

Directions

Pastry:

1. Place butter and 1/2 cup water in saucepan on low heat.

2. Stir until melted.

3. Bring to boil over medium heat.

4. Add flour and beat until mixture leaves sides of pan. (<2 minutes)

5. Cool for 5 minutes.

6. Gradully mix in egg with electric beater, until thick and glossy.

7. Add parmesan cheese; mix.

Filling:

1. Preheat oven to 415 F

2. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat.

3. Add garlic, onion, and bacon.

4. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned.

5. Stir in flour; cook for 1 minute.

6. Gradually add milk; stir until thickened.

7. Simmer for 2 minutes.

8. Add cream and mustard; mix in.

9. Remove from heat.

10. Fold in chicken and parsley; season with pepper.

11. Grease a deep 9 in dish.

12. Pour in filling.

13. Spoon heaping tablespoons of pastry mix around outside on top of filling.

14. Bake for 10 minutes.

15. Reduce oven temperature to 350.

16. Bake for 20 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden.

17. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Notes

Doubling the pastry and multiplying the filling by 1.5 works pretty well for a larger 4-person version; the base recipe is just a touch light for 4.