Kitchen Bitch

Gruyere and Black Pepper Popovers

The holidays took me by storm as usual, and I’m just now getting settled back into my normal routine, if you can even really call it that. My two-week-long hiatus from Kitchen Bitch wasn’t intentional, but it was much needed, and now it’s back to work as usual. School starts next week and my classes (Methods of Cooking, Intro to Catering, and Food Service Business Planning) finally seem to be going beyond the basics. Here’s to learning some great new recipes to share with you this coming year!

There’s no better way to start the year off then with a bang, and this recipe for Gruyere and Black Pepper Popovers surely does the trick. These little guys literally pop over the sides of the muffin tin to make a fluffy, lighter-than-air dinner roll that’s a perfect fit for practically any occasion. I’ve found that the egg batter can be made ahead of time and chilled in the fridge until ready to use; I’ve even divided the batter and saved half of it for the following evening. Oh, and did I mention making popovers is ridiculously easy?

Popovers can be made plain without the Gruyere and black pepper added into this variation, but the combination of the melted tangy cheese and spicy pepper is divine with the subtle sweetness of the egg-y roll. I received this recipe from TastingTable.com, which sends out weekly emails featuring recipes adapted from celebrity chefs all over the country. This recipe was adapted from Jodi Elliot of Foreign & Domestic Food & Drink in Austin, Texas.

Before we get to the recipe, I thought I’d give you a look at all the fun and silly things I’ve been up to over the past two weeks. For instance, I whipped up a pork posole for my food photography final.

Enjoyed the gorgeous scenery at my parents’ house in Ryland, Kentucky.

One of the lakes in Ryland Lakes Country Club

Spent half a day in the kitchen with Julia Child

Julia Child’s coq au vin with celery root-potato puree and buttered peas

Drank mimosas on Christmas morning

Opened presents under the tree with the triplets and Wiley

Hung out with Darth Vadar

Darth Vadar Mom … “Mavis, I am your mother”

Threw a Mexican fiesta-themed graduation party for my sister’s boyfriend Bart with the help of my mom, sisters Annie and Paige, and Chelsea, my brother’s girlfriend.

From left to right: Paige, Annie, Chelsea, Mom, me

Bart

And, of course, baked up some Gruyere and Black Pepper Popovers for the fam.

Popovers fresh from the oven

Gruyère and Black Pepper Popovers
Recipe adapted from Jodi Elliott of Foreign & Domestic Food & Drink in Austin, Texas, by TastingTable.com. You can make the batter up to one day ahead of time; cover and refrigerate. Makes 16 popovers.

2 c. whole milk
4 large eggs
1½ tsp. salt
½ tsp.  freshly ground black pepper
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 ounces Gruyère cheese, cut into 16 small cubes, plus freshly grated cheese for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375°F and position a rack in the bottom third. Place 2 muffin pans (or enough to make 16 popovers) in the oven to warm.

Make batter. In a small saucepan, warm the milk over medium heat until it is hot (about 125°F) but not boiling. Remove from the heat. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt and black pepper until smooth. Slowly whisk in the warm milk. Add the flour and whisk until the batter is just combined. (It may be slightly lumpy.)

Fill muffin pans. Remove the muffin pans from the oven. Spray the pans generously with nonstick cooking spray. Pour about ⅓ cup of the batter into each of 16 muffin cups. Set a cube of the cheese on top of the batter in each cup.

Bake the popovers

until puffed and deep golden brown, about 40 minutes (do not open the door or they may collapse). Remove the popovers from the pans, sprinkle with the grated Gruyère and serve immediately.