Recipe Popovers

[The Late Night Gourmet]

I was surprised I didn't post this one when I made it, which was February of 2017, but I see that this predated my time on this forum (I joined a month later). I took my wife to BLT Steak in Las Vegas to celebrate her birthday in 2017, and they had the best bread we've ever had in our lives. I was amazed later in the meal when the server brought me the recipe. If you want a look at some of the other mind-blowing food we had, check out what I posted a year later when we returned.

This recipe uses the same ingredients, proportions, and directions as the original, but is adapted for cupcake pans (the original was double the quantity, and used a special popover pan). The time for the smaller popovers is less than the 50 minutes for the original, larger popovers. For those who've never made popovers, there is no yeast or baking powder in the recipe: the bread rises entirely as a result of the steam created by evaporating milk.

It's very unusual for me to post a recipe that I didn't modify in some way; downsizing the proportions doesn't quite count. But, it's perfect as-is. I can see this being done with a different cheese, but Gruyere is so amazing for its combination of taste and how it melts.

Ingredients

4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups flour
1 cup Gruyere, grated

Directions

1. Place cupcake pans in the oven. Heat the oven and pans to 350°F
2. Heat the milk for 1 minute in the microwave or over low heat in a pan, then set aside. Whisk eggs until frothy and slowly whisk in milk (so as not to cook the eggs). Set the mixture aside.
3. Sift the flour with the salt. Slowly add this dry mixture and gently combine until mostly smooth. Once combined, remove the cupcake pans from the oven and spray with non-stick vegetable spray.
4. While the batter is still slightly warm or room temperature (definitely not cool), fill each cupcake cup 3/4 full. Top each cup with about 1 tablespoon of grated Gruyere.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, rotating pans 1/2 turn halfway through baking. Remove from oven, remove from pan, and serve immediately.

​

 

[medtran49]

Your post reminded me of popovers with gruyere and black pepper that I posted a while back. Had totally forgotten about them. We can attest as to how good they are.

If you like this kind of thing, try gougères, a pate a choux dough with gruyere added. I was watching Hubert Keller make them once and he serves them with either a roasted garlic/tomato sauce or a toasted cumin seed/tomato sauce as appys. I bought his book to get the recipes for the sauces since he didn't give them on the show or his web site at the time. Got it used but like brand new with an autograph for practically nothing.

 

[TodayInTheKitchen]

The Late Night Gourmet , you mentioned in the Recipe Challenge thread that you would have to submit Vegan Cheese recipes. Is this just an old recipe from your days before the plant-based diet?

 

[GadgetGuy]

I've never made these, but I will one day!!

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

The Late Night Gourmet , you mentioned in the Recipe Challenge thread that you would have to submit Vegan Cheese recipes. Is this just an old recipe from your days before the plant-based diet?

I made no legally binding promise to use vegan cheese. But, the thought did cross my mind.

 

[TodayInTheKitchen]

I made no legally binding promise to use vegan cheese. But, the thought did cross my mind.

Well, let me save you the grief... Stick with regular cheese. The general rule is that vegan cheese tastes bad. This rule is correct. The second rule is that vegan cheese does not melt well. This is also true. The third rule is that vegan cheese is insanely expensive. Likewise, true.

 

[Morning Glory]

Well, let me save you the grief... Stick with regular cheese. The general rule is that vegan cheese tastes bad. This rule is correct. The second rule is that vegan cheese does not melt well. This is also true. The third rule is that vegan cheese is insanely expensive. Likewise, true.

Wait to see my home-made vegan cheese sauce. Not expensive if you have the basic ingredients and its fooled more than one victim...err, I mean person. Recipe to follow in new thread.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

Well, let me save you the grief... Stick with regular cheese. The general rule is that vegan cheese tastes bad. This rule is correct. The second rule is that vegan cheese does not melt well. This is also true. The third rule is that vegan cheese is insanely expensive. Likewise, true.

I will take your word for that, but I do know that some places - like the Unburger Grill - seem to understand how to handle vegan cheese properly. They had a vegan cheese dip that was tasty, though slightly different in consistency and flavor from a non-vegan cheese dip.

Wait to see my home-made vegan cheese sauce. Not expensive if you have the basic ingredients and its fooled more than one victim...err, I mean person. Recipe to follow in new thread.

I look forward to seeing what you deliver.

 

[TodayInTheKitchen]

I will take your word for that, but I do know that some places - like the Unburger Grill - seem to understand how to handle vegan cheese properly. They had a vegan cheese dip that was tasty, though slightly different in consistency and flavor from a non-vegan cheese dip.

If you look at the cheese sauce I made up for the chili fries, I used three vegan cheese products that seem to be the exception to the rules I stated above. These particular varieties and brands have somehow created a rather tasty version. The only downside is price. Daiya CHEEZ is about $8/lbs, Kate Hill is about $12/lbs, and Miyoko MOZZ is an astonishing $18/lbs.