It's always such a pleasure for me to stay with people I love and share their space. I get such great ideas about home decor, source new recipes (we all seem to have the common fondness for eating and drinking good wine!) and admire their flower and vegetable gardens.
This holiday I had no interest in sightseeing which is not like me. For this holiday I was very content to just relax and share good quality time with friends, it was a nice way to unwind....
While in Tauranga our hostess (Liz) made a fabulous souffle for dinner. Her souffle was made with such ease, served with a lovely salad and warm crusty bread, washed down with great wine, I was in heaven. It was so perfectly cooked and delicious.
I really can't remember when I last had one or made one, probably one of those things I tried once and failed.... so it was with a bit of trepidation I used Liz's recipe and made one earlier this week for a special meal with family member visiting from New York.
Liz's fail safe souffle lived up to its name. It was perfect!
This photo doesn't really do it justice, you really need to be able to smell it!
Instead of adding the cheese to the egg whites I added little pieces of smoked salmon into my souffle, along with chopped chervil, chives and parsley. I then used the breadcrumbs and the cheese to the top.
I have converted her recipe from imperial measurements to metric, hence the odd measurements.
We had a few souffles left over, they are just as gently lovely (brought to room temperature) and heated in the oven for a meal the next day.
85 g (3oz) butter
57 g (2oz) plain
flour
236ml of
milk (1/2 pint)
Make thick
roux sauce with the above ingredients and put aside to cool
Add pepper,
salt and a little mustard to taste
85-140 g grated
cheese (a mixture of cheddar and parmesan)
5 very large
eggs - separated
Beat yolks
into a cooled mixture
Whisk egg
whites to soft peak stage – do not over whisk or they won’t fold in.
Fold
sauce/yolk mix, and cheese very lightly into the egg whites and turn into 2 pt (about 1,000 mls) soufflé
dish or 6 large ramekins. You may like to line the base with baking paper).
Sprinkle the top
with breadcrumbs or use Liz's idea and sprinkle the buttered sides and base with the breadcrumbs.
Place very
gently into a preheated oven at 190 - 200°C for 35 – 45 minutes or for small soufflé 15
- 20 minutes. (I lowered the temperature to 190 for a fan oven and for ease of removal I placed my ramekins on a preheated oven
tray).
Strongly
resist the temptation to open the oven door. If you do, open and shut very
gently.
If you want
a soft top, stand the soufflé dish in a pan of hot water.
For a sweet
soufflé use 57g castor sugar (57g) + flavourings
