GOURGERE WITH MUSHROOMS AND HAM

GOURGERE WITH MUSHROOMS AND HAM image

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

4 tablesppons butter
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
11/2 tablespoons flour
1 teasppoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon instant chicken broth or one cube
1 cup hot water
2 cups tomato strips, about 2 large tomatoes
2-3 cups cooked ham strips or salmon, or whatever
1 cup sifted flour
pinch of salt and pepper
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter, cut up
4 large egss
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons for top

Steps:

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Saute onion until soft, but not browned. Add mushrooms and continue cooking for 2 minutes longer. Add chicken broth and water: mix well. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Simmer for 4 minutes. Remove sauce from heat. Add tomato strips and ham strips. Set aside. To make the pate a choux, heat water and butter in a large saucepan until the butter melts. Bring water to a boil, add flour, salt and pepper all at once and stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball in center of pan, about one minute. Allow mixture to cool for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition. This beating is important or gougere will not puff. Stir in grated cheese. I suppose a cuisinart would make quick work of this! Butter an 11 or 12 inch ovenproof skillet or shallow baking dish. Spoon the pate a choux in a ring around the ege, leaving the center open. Pour the ham, tomato and mushroom filling into the center and sprinkle with remainint 2 tablespoons Cheddar cheese. Bake at 400 debrees for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the gougere is puffed and brown and the filling is bubbling. Serve at once. Note: great wtih fresh fruit and pecan rolls.