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1
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch pie pan.
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2
Put the milk, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a large, heavy saucepan.
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3
Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter has melted and the mixture comes to a full boil.
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4
Take the saucepan off the heat and add in the flour all at once, stirring hard with a wooden spoon.
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5
Return the pan to the heat.
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6
Stir vigorously and constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan.
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7
This recipe will give you good arm muscles.
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8
(There are recipes for making gougere in a food processor, but that involves a lot of sticky cleanup.
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9
A saucepan and spoon are actually easier in the long run.)
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10
Take the pan off the heat again (this time, turn off the burner).
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11
Beat the eggs, 1 at a time, into the hot dough, stirring vigorously after each addition until the egg is completely incorporated and the dough is smooth.
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12
The dough will be very stiff and thick.
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13
Beat in the Parmesan cheese.
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14
Fold in chopped ham.
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15
Scrape/pour the dough into the prepared pie pan.
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16
Brush with the egg-water mixture and sprinkle with the extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.
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17
Bake for 50 minutes without once opening the oven door.
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18
The gougere should be quite brown and puffy.
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19
Without taking it out of the oven, make a few slashes in the top with a sharp knife; this will let out some of the steam in the center and help the gougere stay puffy once it's out of the oven.
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20
Bake for 10 more minutes.
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21
Serve the gougere hot, at room temperature, or cold.
