Souffle

Souffle's can be a nightmare if you get them wrong. I would know.

Working in kitchens you start at the bottom and work your way up the ranks , and I went down the pastry road. I soon learned that souffles were not easy, it's that point when you have the head pastry chef screaming at you, you open the oven door, your heart sinks, you really want to die, the other desserts are ready and you f***ed the souffle. I went through a bad patch with souffle's- they were my enemy.

Now I am a bit older and wiser some say confident, I really enjoy doing them. There is just a few rules to souffle's that I wish I had learned sooner.

1- Always have your moulds well buttered and sugared.
2- Whites at room temperature are best.
3- Don't over whisk the whites (they will get that separated look) throw them out and start again.
4-Work fast and clean (sounds obvious but you will be amazed to how much of a pickle you can get in)
5- Test one before service (the most important one)

I still get that fear and panic feeling when I have a big job on though, 20+ souffles in the oven the first glance to see how they are getting on, gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

The recipe I use now is different from the old school creme pat style made to order. This one can be made before service and last all the way through.

The recipe holds so well that you can do a double souffle like blackberry and apple, one half deep purple and the other half white looks very cool and tastes great

Souffle recipe 

(makes 12 large ramekins)

Base:

2kg fruit puree

500g sugar

9 tbsp cornflour mixed with a splash of water

 Mix the puree and sugar together, bring to the boil, add cornflour liquid and cook till very thick like a jam, allow to cool.

 Souffle:

   600g base

300g egg white (about 10)

100g sugar

Whisk egg whites and sugar to peaks, take 1/4 of the egg white and beat it into the base, next fold in the rest of the egg white gently. Fill ramekins, tap them on the work surface to ensure you get rid of all gaps, then run over them with a palette knife to make sure they are completely flat, go around the edges with thumb, store til needed and then bake at 200 Degrees for 8 minutes to see how it is doing, they should take about 12 minutes but that is just a guideline. 

ENJOY!!

Photography by Carla Grassy