Many people are intimidated at the thought of making a soufflé, but this easy guide will soon have you cooking like a professional.
A soufflé is a French dish consisting of beaten egg whites added to a white sauce (savory soufflés) or custard (sweet soufflés) base. The mixture is then baked in the oven until it rises and puffs up. In fact, the word soufflé comes from the French verb souffler, which means ‘to blow up’ or, less formally, ‘to puff up’.
Tips for Making Soufflés
While soufflés are quite easy to make, there are a few things that can go wrong. The following tips will help ensure that your soufflé is a success.
- Use eggs that are at room temperature. This helps the egg whites incorporate more air, resulting in a lighter, fluffier soufflé.
- Always use a clean, dry bowl and clean beaters when beating egg whites, as any residue or grease will prevent the egg whites from reaching a firm peak.
- When greasing the soufflé dish, use a pastry brush to brush melted butter vertically up the sides of the dish. This ensures an even coverage and will help the soufflé to rise more evenly.
- Placing the soufflé dish on a heated oven tray before placing it in the oven provides instant heat to help the soufflé rise.
- Try not to open the oven door while the soufflé is cooking – the rush of air may cause the soufflé to deflate.
- For maximum presentation, serve the soufflé as soon as it comes out of the oven, as it will soon start to sink (although it will still taste good!)
Easy Cheese Soufflé Recipe
Ingredients:
- Melted butter, to grease dish
- Dried breadcrumbs, to dust dish
- 30 grams butter
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 310 milliliters milk
- 1 cup grated cheese (try using cheddar or gruyere)
- ¼ cup finely chopped chives
- 4 eggs, separated
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Place a baking tray in the oven to heat.
- Brush a 6-cup capacity soufflé dish with melted butter to grease, brushing the butter vertically up the sides of the dish to ensure an even coverage. Lightly dust the greased dish with breadcrumbs.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over a low heat until it starts to foam. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes until the mixture bubbles and starts coming away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Gradually add half the milk to the butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly with a balloon whisk to remove any lumps. When the mixture is smooth, gradually add the remaining milk, whisking again until smooth and well combined.
- Place the pan back over a medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring gently with a wooden spoon. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and add the cheese, chives and egg yolks. Stir until well combined, then set aside.
- Place the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl. Using electric beaters, beat the egg whites until firm peaks form (this is when the mixture can stand up in peaks by itself).
- Add one quarter of the beaten egg whites to the cheese sauce and fold together gently with a large metal spoon. Add the remaining egg white mixture and fold together until just combined.
- Pour the egg mixture into the prepared soufflé dish. Run your finger gently around the outside edge of the mixture (this helps to create the rounded ‘puff’ on top of the cooked soufflé).
- Put the soufflé dish on the preheated tray and place the tray into the oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until puffed and golden. Serve immediately.
The copyright of the article How to Make a Soufflé in Classical French Cuisine is owned by Kate Machin. Permission to republish How to Make a Soufflé in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
