Tonight, while reading Mark Bittman's Blog, I was reminded of this recipe which I made for a dear friend from Geneva, no less, a couple of months ago. About the only thing I have a lot of respect for in the world of cooking is a souffle. Let's face it, they are not exactly what you would call a sure thing, so why bother when there are so many other good chocolate desserts? Because they are yummy, that's why. I must have made a really bad one way back when, because i've got a real mental block against them...until I made this recipe. Granted, it is not Le Cirque's or La Grenouille's, but it is very very good, and it will make you proud!
Time: About 45 min
Yield: 2 servings.
About 1 tablespoon butter for dish
1/3 cup sugar, plus some for dish
3 eggs, separated
2 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, melted
Pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 2-cup or one 4-cup soufflé or other deep baking dish(es). Sprinkle each with sugar, invert it and tap to remove excess sugar.
2. Beat egg yolks with all but 1 tablespoon sugar until very light and very thick; mixture will fall in a ribbon from beaters when it is ready. Mix in the melted chocolate until well combined; set aside.
3. Wash beaters well, then beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until whites hold soft peaks; continue to beat, gradually adding remaining tablespoon sugar, until they are very stiff and glossy. Stir a good spoonful of whites thoroughly into egg yolk mixture to lighten it; then fold in remaining whites, using a rubber spatula. Transfer to prepared soufflé dish(es); at this point you can cover and refrigerate until you are ready to bake.
4. Bake until center is nearly set, 20 minutes for individual soufflés and 25 to 35 minutes for a single large soufflé. Serve immediately.
Watch this video of Bittman making the souffle!
The Minimalist: By Public Demand: Chocolate Soufflé (February 11, 2009)
And it is yummy indeed ...
ReplyDeleteThe dear friend from Geneva