Makes 12 popovers
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose (unbleached) flour
½ teaspoon fleur de sel
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white, green and red peppercorns
Generous pinch (about 1 heaping teaspoon) finely chopped fresh herbs (If
substituting dried herbs, use about ¼ teaspoon. To release the
aromatic qualities, rub the dried herbs between your fingers before
adding to the mixture.)
2 cups milk, at room temperature
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon butter, melted, plus additional for greasing popover pan (or use vegetable oil)
1 heaping tablespoon cheese chunks, cut into 1/8” dice (see variations below)
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 220/240° C (see Chef’s Note). Brush a nonstick
popover or large muffin pan with melted butter. Place the pan in the
oven while preheating.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, fleur de sel, pepper,
baking powder, and herbs. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk
until pale and foamy, about 1 minute. In a larger bowl, whisk together
the milk and melted butter to combine. Combine the eggs with the milk
and butter.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently whisk
until combined. Your batter should be the consistency of heavy cream.
Take care not to over-whisk when combining ingredients. Allow to rest
at room temperature for 20 minutes, or up to 1 hour. Can be made ahead
and refrigerated overnight. Allow to come to room temperature before
proceeding.
Pour the batter into the prepared and heated pan to within about 1/4
inch of the rim. Drop the chopped cheese in the center of each filled
cup.
Bake for 20 minutes at 425° F. Make sure you do not open the oven
door during this time or the steam will escape and you will lose the
“pop” effect. Reduce the temperature to 350° F and continue to bake
until the popovers are brown, crusty and puffed, about 20 minutes more.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately, or let cool on wire racks
and hold at room temperature for up to 4 hours. When ready to serve,
reheat in a 350° F oven for about 10 minutes.
[Chef’s Note: If your oven is accurate, you can push the heat to
450° F for the preheat and initial baking time. The extra heat will
help to create a super-crispy crust. Watch the popovers carefully,
though; the heat may need to be reduced at 15 minutes if your popovers
are becoming too browned. Again, an accurate oven is a must.]
Variations
Gruyère and Spinach: Use walnut oil to coat
the muffin or popover pan. Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh
spinach leaves to the batter in place of herbs. Drop 1 teaspoon of
chunks of Gruyère into the center of each cup.
Gruyère and Marjoram: Add 1 heaping
teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram to the batter in place of the herbs.
Drop 1 teaspoon of chunks of Gruyère in the center of each cup.
Camembert, Chervil and Warm Plum Compote:
Add 1 heaping teaspoon chopped fresh chervil (or finely chopped parsley)
to the batter in place of the herbs. Drop 1 teaspoon of chunks of
Camembert in the center of each cup. While the popovers are baking,
prepare the warm plum compote.
Warm Plum Compote: Halve 3 ripe, black plums and pit. Slice
into wedges. Place a medium sauté pan over medium heat and add 1
tablespoon butter. Place plums into the heated sauté pan and add 1
tablespoon sugar. Cook, while stirring occasionally, until the plums
begin to soften and release some of their juices, about 3 minutes. Add
the juice of ½ orange (no more than ¼ cup) to the pan, and allow to
simmer over medium heat until plums soften, and juices thicken. Set
aside to keep warm.
When the popovers come out of the oven, place in a warmed serving
bowl, and slice the popover open. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the plum
compote into the center of the popover and serve immediately.
Cabrales (blue cheese) with Thyme and Red Onion:
Add 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves to the batter in place of the
herbs. In a small bowl combine ¼ cup red onion, chopped in a small
dice, and about 2.5 ounces of chunks of Cabrales. Drop about 1 teaspoon
of the mixture into the center of each cup.
Cheddar and Dill: Add a scant teaspoon of fresh dill in place of the herbs. Drop 1 teaspoon of chunks of Cheddar in the center of each cup.
Cheddar and Chives: Add a teaspoon of fresh chopped chives in place of the herbs. Drop 1 teaspoon of chunks of Cheddar in the center of each cup.
Asiago and Thyme: Add a teaspoon of fresh
chopped thyme leaves in place of the herbs. Drop 1 teaspoon of chunks
of Asiago in the center of each cup.
Brie and Rosemary with Honeyed Pears: Add ½
teaspoon of fresh chopped rosemary leaves in place of the herbs. Drop 1
teaspoon of chunks of Brie (with bloomy rind) in the center of each
cup. While the popovers are baking, prepare the honeyed pears.
Honeyed Pears: Peel and core 2 firm but ripe Bosc Pears, and
chop into a 1/4” dice (to yield about 1 cup). Melt 3 tablespoons of
honey in a sauté pan over medium-high heat until the honey bubbles and
begins to turn amber. Add pears and one sprig of rosemary and sauté for
about 2 minutes until the pears are well glazed. Add 1 tablespoon aged
balsamic vinegar and allow to cook for 1 additional minute. Remove
from heat and reserve until popovers are ready for service.
When the popovers come out of the oven, place in a warmed serving
bowl, and slice the popover open. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the honeyed
pears into the center of the popover and serve immediately.
Manchego with Chives and Roasted Red Pepper:
Add a teaspoon of fresh chopped chives and ½ teaspoon fennel seeds in
place of the herbs. Drain a small jar of roasted red peppers and place
on paper towels to absorb excess liquid. Coarsely chop. Drop 1
teaspoon of chunks of Manchego cheese in the center of each cup along
with ½ teaspoon of chopped roasted red peppers. Serve with a drizzle of
aged sherry vinegar.
Sweet Cheese with Lavender and Chocolate:
Prepare the sweet cheese: Combine 2 ounces of cream cheese and 4 ounces
of mascarpone cheese (both at room temperature) in a bowl. Add 2 to 3
tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar (to taste) and mix well to combine.
Set aside. Coarsely chop 4 ounces of dark (semi-sweet or dark)
chocolate and set aside. When preparing the popover batter, omit the
pepper and add ½ teaspoon sugar. For the milk addition to the batter:
Add 1 teaspoon lavender to cold milk and warm gently (until you see
bubbles just starting to appear around the rim of the pan). Remove from
the heat and allow to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain the lavender from
the milk and proceed with the recipe. When you remove the heated
popover tin from the oven, just before filling each cup with batter,
sprinkle the inside of the cup with a generous pinch of sugar. Add the
batter. Drop rounded teaspoons of the sweet cheese into each cup. Bake
as instructed. When the popovers come out of the oven, place in a
warmed serving bowl, and slice the popover open. Spoon 1 teaspoon of
the chopped chocolate into the center of the popover and serve
immediately.
Ingredients