This picnic worthy gougere contains two essential ingredients to be concidered lunchtime fare —proscuitto and Gruyere cheese. The day we decided to go on a spur of the moment picnic, the closest thing I had to prosciutto in my house was bacon — and that wasn’t close at all. Since I knew that I would lose more than half of it to grease after frying, I substituted 10 ounces of diced thick bacon for the 4-ounces of European cured pork I normally use. It tasted delicious. When preparing this recipe, practice mise en place and have everything measured and ready to go. And remember, boiling milk can quickly bubble over the pan if not taken off the heat immediately once it begins to boil.

Giant Picnic Gougère

Serves 6

1 cup milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal® Kosher Salt (if using another salt, use less – see page 16)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour, loosened with a wire whisk before measuring

4 large eggs, at room temperature
6 – 8 ounces Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated
10-ounces cooked, thick-sliced bacon (my favorite is Kiolbassa Brand made in San Antonio and available online at https://kiolbassa.com/product-category/buy-now/) or 4-ounces finely chopped Italian prosciutto

Preheat the oven to 400°F, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

For bacon:
Slice each strip in half lengthwise and then cut the strips to form small squares. Fry at low heat until bacon has rendered all of its fat, then drain well on paper towels, blotting the top with additional paper towels to get rid of as much grease as possible.

For the gougère:
In a large saucepan, over medium heat, combine milk, butter, salt, black pepper, and bring to a boil. As soon as the mixture boils, remove from the heat, and add the flour all at once. With a sturdy wooden spoon, stir briskly for about 1 minute to incorporate. Return the pan to the heat and continue stirring for 1 minute over medium-high heat until it forms a cohesive lump.

Remove from the heat, and place the saucepan’s contents in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, turning it on for a minute or two to help release the heat from the flour mixture. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the cheese and drained bacon and beat until it is incorporated.

Drop the dough by large spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet to form a large oval ring (about 12 to 14 mounds). Place in the 400°F oven, and after baking for 10 minutes reduce to 350°F, baking until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

To Serve:
Remove from the oven, serve warm on a platter, or place it in a towel-lined basket and carry it to your picnic spot. Although it is probably best served warm, it is still delicious served at room temperature.