Norwegian Duchesses

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •2-quart heavy saucepan
• •Wooden spoon or stiff heatproof spatula
• •Heavy baking sheet
• •Parchment paper
• •Piping bag with ½-inch (12 mm) plain tip
• •Second piping bag with small plain tip
• •Small food processor or fine-mesh sieve
• •Small saucepan for the jelly

Instructions

1. 1

   Set the kitchen

   Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment and fit a piping bag with a ½-inch (12 mm) plain tip. Have the flour sifted, the eggs beaten, and a wooden spoon or stiff spatula ready before the saucepan meets the heat; choux waits for no rummaging.

2. 2

   Cook the panade

   Put the water, 4 tablespoons butter, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring them to a full boil so the butter is completely melted, then remove the pan from the heat and add all the flour at once. Beat firmly until no dry flour remains. Return the pan to medium heat and stir for about 2 minutes, until the paste gathers into a smooth ball and leaves a thin film on the pan floor. This drying gives the Choux enough structure to rise and stay hollow.

3. 3

   Finish the choux paste

   Let the panade cool for 2 minutes, then beat in the egg in four additions, holding back the final spoonful. Each addition will make the paste look slippery and broken before it becomes smooth again. Keep beating and don't add more egg until the last addition has disappeared. Ça se rattrape. Add only enough of the reserved egg for the paste to turn glossy and fall from the spoon in a heavy V; if it already does, leave the remaining egg out.

   A stiff paste makes small, dense choux, while a loose one spreads flat. The heavy V from the spoon is more reliable than blindly adding every drop of egg.
4. 4

   Pipe and bake

   Pipe 24 mounds about 1¼ inches (3 cm) wide, leaving space between them. Flatten any sharp peaks with a damp fingertip. Bake for 15 minutes without opening the door, then lower the oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake for another 10 to 13 minutes, until the choux are deep gold and firm underneath. Pierce each base with the tip of a small knife and return them to the switched-off oven with its door ajar for 5 minutes. If they begin to soften or sink, return them to 350°F (175°C) for 5 to 8 minutes. Pale choux are underbaked choux, and more drying will rescue them. Cool completely on a rack.

5. 5

   Make the Kilkis purée

   Put the thoroughly dried Kilkis in a small processor and work them to a paste, scraping the bowl often. Add the softened butter a spoonful at a time and process until the purée is smooth, pale, and firm enough to hold a ridge. For the finest texture, press it through a fine sieve. If it turns oily, the butter became too warm. Chill it for 10 minutes, then beat again until smooth. Ça se rattrape. Transfer the purée to a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip.

6. 6

   Temper the jelly

   Warm the clear savory jelly over the gentlest heat only until it becomes liquid. Do not boil it. Remove it from the heat and stir occasionally until it is cool but still fluid, with enough body to coat the back of a spoon in a thin film. If it sets before you finish, warm it again briefly. If it feels warm against your wrist, wait; jelly that is too warm will melt the butter filling.

7. 7

   Fill the choux

   Make a small opening in the base of each completely cooled choux. Pipe in the Kilkis purée until the shell feels noticeably heavier but has not begun to split. Wipe the bases clean and set the filled choux upright. If the purée has become too firm to pipe, leave the bag at cool room temperature for 5 minutes and knead it gently with your hands.

8. 8

   Glaze and serve

   Hold each duchesse by its base and dip the crown into the barely fluid jelly, allowing the excess to run back into the pan. The glaze should be thin enough to show the golden choux beneath it. Set the duchesses upright and chill them uncovered for 15 minutes, just until the jelly firms, then cover loosely. Let them stand outside the refrigerator for 10 minutes before serving so the butter filling loses its chill while keeping its shape. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Kilkis is the source wording for cured Norwegian sprats, the ingredient that gives these duchesses their identity. Ask a Nordic or eastern European grocer for cured sprats. Drained cured brisling sprats are the closest practical substitute; smoked ones make the filling noticeably smokier.
• •Use clear savory jelly, never sweet fruit jelly. Its job is to give a delicate gloss and a clean, melting finish, not to turn the pastry into a glazed confection.
• •Judge choux by color and firmness, not the clock alone. They should be deep gold, light in the hand, and dry at the base. If they feel soft, dry them longer before filling.
• •Serve with a very dry sparkling wine or a taut dry white. Salted sprat, butter, and crisp choux want acidity, not sweetness.

Advance Preparation

• •Bake the unfilled choux up to one day ahead and keep them airtight at room temperature. Before filling, crisp them for 5 minutes at 325°F (165°C), then cool them completely.
• •The Kilkis-and-butter purée can be made up to two days ahead and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator. Let it soften briefly, then beat it smooth before piping.
• •The savory jelly can be prepared several days ahead and kept chilled. Melt only what you need over very gentle heat.
• •Fill and glaze the duchesses no more than 2 hours before serving. Longer storage softens the choux, and overnight assembly sacrifices the contrast that makes the dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 100g)