How to Make the Perfect Souffle
The perfect soufflé may seem like a myth, but its really all a question of timing. Basically a combination of egg whites and simple ingredients, once you get the technique down pat, you will be able to amaze your friends and family. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
-
-
1
Eggs should always be at room temperature. Cold eggs will not beat up as stiff and therefore could cause problems with your soufflé.Carefully separate the eggs. Make sure you the bowl you use is spotlessly clean. I've found stainless steel works best. If the bowl is not completely clean and dry, the whites will not beat up properly.When separating the eggs, be extremely cautious. Use a separate bowl and do each egg separately, checking carefully that no hint of yolk has managed to break through. Then transfer the egg white into the bowl you will use for beating. If a yolk does manage to get by you, reserve the egg and use for making omelets or scrambled eggs.
-
2
Use an electric mixer for the eggs, making sure the beaters are completely clean and dry. Blenders do not work well for beating egg whites. Your egg whites should be a stiff-white-peak consistency. Be careful not to overbeat them as once they reach the soft peak stage or they will stiffen very quickly. If the egg whites begin to look dull, they are overbeaten and you will need to start over.
-
-
3
Folding the sauce and egg whites together should be done carefully. You do not want the egg whites to deflate. If you add a large spoonful of the egg whites to the sauce first, and gently stir that in, it will be easier to fold in the rest. Once the batter is complete, you should gently spoon the batter into the dish, and rap the dish sharply on the counter a few times to allow the batter to settle and make full contact with the sides of the dish so it can rise. Adding a bit of sugar (for desert) or grated cheese (for savory) to the sides of the prepared dish will also help the soufflé to rise.Once you place the soufflé in the oven, reduce the temperature, immediately. The initial higher temperature gives the egg whites a blast of heat to encourage inflation of the batter, but if you don't reduce the heat, the top will become too brown before the center sets.You can test if the soufflé is done by inserting a wooden toothpick in the side. If it comes out clean it is done. Be careful of having it too moist, as moist soufflé's tend to fall much quicker.
-
4
Plan your meal in advance. Decide what you will serve before the soufflé. Timing is the most important part of a successful soufflé. As most only bake for 30 to 35 minutes, plan on serving a soup or salad first, and put your soufflé in the oven just as everyone starts on their first course. Immediately after removing it from the oven, it should be served.
-
5
Add all your ingredients into the sauce before you fold the sauce into the egg whites. Since there is a wide variety of soufflé's available, the ingredients that you can include vary widely as well. For a savory soufflé, additions like bacon pieces, thin cooked vermicelli and chopped spinach or kale make wonderful accents with cheeses such as Parmesan, sharp cheddar or goat cheese. For a desert type soufflé, chocolate is always a favorite however great combinations of mangoes and peach, or lemon can end the dinner on a lighter note.
-
1
