- James Beard
In my humble opinion, Souffles are perhaps one of the most astonishing culinary feat to come out of French kitchen. It is also one of the most feared. A test of true grit of the cook & technique. Which is why it is also one of the most satisfying, self-congratulatory dishes one can ever prepare. I will be lying if I tell you that before I begin a souffle, I don't say a little prayer. Because when it comes to some things in life we can use all the help we can get. Don't get me wrong - it's not difficult to make at all and the fact that it takes only a handful of ingredients to make leaves me gobsmacked. Because when you do take the first bite of that airy, fluffy, ever so light & delicate souffle, it is nothing short of an orchestra or a 12 gun salute going off in your mouth. I think an orchestra is a perfect analogy for a souffle. A sum of parts to a make an exquisite whole. A perfect souffle begins with a perfect dish. It must be round, it must have flutes and the bottom must be unglazed.
And my 12 cup Emile Henry souffle dish is perfect because the burgundy clay it is made of ensures even browning. The ridges on the side add to the surface area as well as the unglazed bottom all aid in maximum heat absorption for that perfect end result. Also, I am about to inaugurate one of my most coveted kitchen appliances - The Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. How I have been swooning over this electric hunk of a bowl for over 2 years and finally, I have it! Thanks to my dear friend Beth, our friendship that has endured over a decade which makes this gift all the more special. Now that we have the perfect dish & the perfect appliance to do the job, the next important piece of the puzzle is the perfect recipe. Let me tell you friends - you'll be hard pressed to find a recipe that does not begin with roux - you know whisking flour in hot butter to make a Bechamel sauce. And here is where sheer genius of technique steps in - Richard Grausman in his recipe, as detailed in At Home With The French Classics, takes a short cut - gasp! And one that as you can see renders an incredible, upwardly mobile Souffle without the unnecessary rue of dealing with roux.
So without further ado lets get to it!
Arrange a oven rack to the bottom third of the oven.
Preheat the oven to 450 deg F.
Gather the ingredients:
total 8 large eggs - at room temperature (separated into 6 yolks & 8 whites), 7 oz (by weight) horseradish cheddar cheese or aged cheddar cheese & 1 tsp fresh horseradish, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 cups milk, 6 tbs all-purpose flour, 1/8 tsp cream of tartar, 2 tbs water, cold butter for greasing souffle dish, 1-1/2 tbs flour to flour dish
Also required is a 12 cup souffle dish, some plastic wrap & an electric stand mixer to beat the egg whites to stiff snowy peaks.
Cook's Note : I am using this wonderful aged horseradish cheddar from Yancey's Fancy, New York. I have been using their cheeses for many years now and their horseradish cheddar is our favorite especially grated up in mashed potatoes.
Weigh the cheese, grate & set aside. Measure out the the flour and set aside.
Generously rub the cold stick of butter all over the souffle dish. Add 1-1/2 tbs all-purpose flour.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap. Shake all over especially rolling the dish to get the flour up the sides as well as the bottom.
Invert the dish. Knock the dish to release excess flour. Pull loose the plastic wrap and get rid of the plastic wrap with the excess flour. Refrigerate the dish till needed.
Separate 6 egg yolks in small mixing bowl. Separate the 8 egg whites directly into the mixer bowl. Discard the 2 extra yolks or set aside for future use in an omelete.
Cook's Note : No yolk should encroach into the whites or they will not form peaks. Also carefully get rid of any stray shells.
Bring the milk to boil on medium heat in a large sauce pan.
Add the flour, garlic powder and salt to the egg yolks and whisk to combine till smooth.
Temper the eggs by adding 1/4 cup of the boiling milk into the eggs and whisk vigorusly. This is to slowly raise the temperature of the egg yolks to prevent them from congealing when they are added to the hot milk.
Add another 1/4 cup of boiling milk into the egg yolks and whisk to combine. Now empty all of the tempered egg yolks into the boiling milk. Switch to a large whisk and whisk continuously to form a glossy thick custard.
Add the grated cheese (and the horseradish if using) and whisk to melt the cheese completely. Taste and adjust seasonings. Continue to whish until the sauce is thick and hot and there are no lumps.
Remove from the stove. Empty into a large mixing bowl to cool. Cover & set aside.
Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites. Whisk the egg whites gradually increasing speed to maximum 8 setting and whisk till stiff, snowy white peaks form.
Cook's Note : The best way to test the whites is to invert a whisk into the whites and invert to hold it up. If the peaks are snowy and stand then the egg whites are perfectly ready. At this point use IMMEDIATELY and don't stop to answer the door or talk to strangers!
Divide the egg whites in 3 batches and add the first batch and with a sweeping motion fold the egg whites into the sauce with a large rubber spatula. Divide the remaining egg whites into halves. Add the half & and fold and then all the remaining egg whites and fold.
The souffle must be combined but do not fold till all the egg whites are homogenized. Some egg white streaks are fine. Over-folding will remove the air from the souffle which won't allow it to rise.
Empty the souffle into the floured dish to 1/2 inch below the rim. With the spatula spread out the souffle to even the top.
For the souffle to rise evenly, run your thumb along the entire rim of the souffle dish.
Place a baking pan below the souffle dish. Place in the hot oven.
After 5 minutes (use timer) lower the temperature to 425 deg F.
Bake for 8 minutes.
Lower the temperature to 350 deg F and bake for another 5 minutes.
Do not under any circumstances open the oven door and refrain from making heavy & loud noises. (I sent Mr. Hubby & kids to the park and asked them to wait for my call before heading back)
Serve immediately.
Cook's Note: In the few minutes that I was scrambling to take the final shot for this post I noticed the souffle beginning to sink in the middle. That's how sensitive it is.
Light as a feather.
Airy.
Delicate.
Melt-In-The-Mouth.
Infused with flavor.
Dear Souffle, how I love thee!
Recipe for
Horseradish Cheddar Souffle
Adapted from a recipe by Richard Grausman
~
Preparation time - 30 minutes
Baking time - 18 minutes
Serves 4-6
Shopping list
8 large eggs - at room temperature (separated into 6 yolks & 8 whites),
7 oz (by weight) horseradish cheddar cheese or 7 oz aged cheddar cheese & 1 tsp fresh horseradish
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
6 tbs all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
2 tbs water
cold butter for greasing souffle dish
1-1/2 tbs all-purpose flour to flour the dish
Also required is a 12 cup souffle dish, some plastic wrap & an electric stand mixer to beat the egg whites to stiff snowy peaks.
Method -
Arrange a oven rack to the bottom third of the oven.
Preheat the oven to 450 deg F.
Weigh the cheese, grate & set aside. Measure out the the flour and set aside. Generously rub the cold stick of butter all over the souffle dish. Add 1-1/2 tbs all-purpose flour.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap. Shake all over especially rolling the dish to get the flour up the sides as well as the bottom. Invert the dish. Knock the dish to release excess flour. Pull loose the plastic wrap and get rid of the plastic wrap with the excess flour. Refrigerate the dish till needed.
Separate 6 egg yolks in small mixing bowl. Separate the 8 egg whites directly into the mixer bowl. Discard the 2 extra yolks or set aside for future use in an omelete. Cook's Note : No yolk should encroach into the whites or they will not form peaks. Also carefully get rid of any stray shells.
Bring the milk to boil on medium heat in a large sauce pan. Add the flour, garlic powder and salt to the egg yolks and whisk to combine till smooth. Temper the eggs by adding 1/4 cup of the boiling milk into the eggs and whisk vigorusly. This is to slowly raise the temperature of the egg yolks to prevent them from congealing when they are added to the hot milk. Add another 1/4 cup of boiling milk into the egg yolks and whisk to combine. Now empty all of the tempered egg yolks into the boiling milk. Switch to a large whisk and whisk continuously to form a glossy thick custard.
Add the grated cheese (and the horseradish if using) and whisk to melt the cheese completely. Taste and adjust seasonings. Continue to whish until the sauce is thick and hot and there are no lumps. Remove from the stove. Empty into a large mixing bowl to cool. Cover & set aside.
Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites. Whisk the egg whites gradually increasing speed to maximum 8 setting and whisk till stiff, snowy white peaks form.
Cook's Note : The best way to test the whites is to invert a whisk into the whites and invert to hold it up. If the peaks are snowy and stand then the egg whites are perfectly ready. At this point use IMMEDIATELY and don't stop to answer the door or talk to strangers!
Divide the egg whites in 3 batches and add the first batch and with a sweeping motion fold the egg whites into the sauce with a large rubber spatula. Divide the remaining egg whites into halves. Add the half & and fold and then all the remaining egg whites and fold.
The souffle must be combined but do not fold till all the egg whites are homogenized. Some egg white streaks are fine. Over-folding will remove the air from the souffle which won't allow it to rise.
Empty the souffle into the floured dish to 1/2 inch below the rim. With the spatula spread out the souffle to even the top. For the souffle to rise evenly, run your thumb along the entire rim of the souffle dish.
Place a baking pan below the souffle dish. Place in the hot oven.
After 5 minutes (use timer) lower the temperature to 425 deg F. Bake for 8 minutes.
Lower the temperature to 350 deg F and bake for another 5 minutes.
Serve immediately.
Enjoy!