Gougeres

1. 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
2. Large pinch of coarse salt
3. 1 cup all-purpose flour
4. 4 large eggs
5. 3 1/2 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (1 cup), plus more for sprinkling
6. Freshly ground pepper
7. Freshly chopped rosemary

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter and salt and bring to a boil. Add the flour and stir it in with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms; stir over low heat until it dries out and pulls away from the pan, about 2 minutes.
2. Scrape the dough into a bowl; let cool for 1 minute. Beat the eggs into the dough, 1 at a time, beating thoroughly between each one. Add the cheese and a pinch each of pepper and nutmeg.
3. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip and pipe tablespoon-size mounds onto the baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 22 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Serve hot, or let cool and refrigerate or freeze. Reheat in a 350° oven until piping hot.
4. Eat as is or use as slider bun with braised duck or beef. Also try piping the gougere out to the size of a baseball and bake at 350, use as a burger bun. Try stuffing baked gougeres with salmon mousse or cheese filling. Experiment with different cheeses such as blue cheese or sharp cheddar. The better the cheese the better the gougere. 
   

Fish of the Evening Monday 2/24/14

Grilled Albacore
With Early Tomato Emulsion, Spring Peas and Shoots, Meyer Lemon, California Olive Oil

All ingredients in this dish are sourced from local farmers and purveyors









Early tomato emulsion:
Set oven to 325F
5 vine ripened Early Girl Tomatoes washed, stemmed and cut into quarters
Toss tomatoes in olive oil with 1 clove chopped garlic, 1/2 shallot diced fine, pinch of salt
Cook in the oven for 25-30 mins, until tomatoes are cooked but not too roasted
Add tomatoes to a blender while hot and blend until smooth
Slowly drizzle 1/2 cup of the best olive oil you have
Strain through a fine strainer and serve warm or chilled
Adjust seasoning with kosher salt

Great with any type of fish or chicken breast

Chefs Breakfast

This is breakfast. 2 Soft boiled eggs, crispy bacon cups, sauteed mushrooms, avocado, quality cheese, toast on the side, and 2 cups of coffee.

To make bacon cups:
Cook bacon in the oven on a sheet tray at 350F until it looks done
Right when you pull it out of the oven bend the hot pliable bacon into circles and lean the seam against the side of the sheet tray.
Let cool and serve as egg cups.

Getting Juiced

Along with my produce delivery today Loo Loo Farms in Paso Robles gave me some Raw Fuji Apple Juice. It was semi frozen so I shook it up and made a slushy!
Thank You Zina!

Chef de Cuisine, Steven Smeets