Spring Souffle Recipes

SPRING SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Leave a bit of moisture on the spinach and watercress after cleaning. Place in a saucepan; stir over medium heat until leaves are wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain well and squeeze in a kitchen towel to release moisture. Chop coarsely and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400-degree F. Butter or coat with non-stick cooking spray a 2-quart round soufflé dish.
• Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Next, whisk in the milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Raise heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes or until the mixture is thick and slightly boiling. Add the goat cheese and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
• Beat egg yolks in a medium bowl until lemon-colored and whisk a 1/4 cup cooled sauce into them. Whisk the egg yolk mixture a bit at a time into the cool sauce. Stir in the spinach-watercress mixture along with parsley and chives.
• With an electric mixer, begin to beat the egg whites with the lemon juice until frothy, then continue beating until stiff but not dry.
• With a rubber spatula, gently fold one-quarter of the egg whites into the sauce. Quickly and gently fold the remaining whites into the sauce until well combined. Transfer to the prepared soufflé dish.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until soufflé is golden and puffed, yet still moist.
• Serve immediately.

BASIC SOUFFLé

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375° F (190° C).
• Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Stir in milk all at once. Continue stirring until mixture boils and is smooth and thickened.
• Separate eggs. Beat yolks well and add ¼ cup (50 mL) of warm sauce mixture to egg yolks.
• Combine yolk mixture with remaining sauce, blending thoroughly. If desired, add finely chopped filling ingredients, stirring into white sauce until blended (see variations). Set sauce aside to cool slightly.
• Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl, until stiff but not dry. Fold some of the egg whites into sauce to make it lighter, then gently but thoroughly fold the sauce into the remaining egg whites.
• Carefully pour into 4-cup (1 L) soufflé or casserole dish.
• Bake in preheated 375° F (190° C) oven until puffed and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Serve immediately.

CHEESE SOUFFLé IN 4 EASY STEPS

Steps:

• Preparing the soufflé dish: Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and place a baking sheet on the middle shelf. Butter a 15cm soufflé dish generously, then sprinkle in the breadcrumbs and rotate the dish to ensure the butter is evenly coated. Tip out any excess breadcrumbs.
• Making a thick white sauce: In a pan, melt the butter over a medium heat; stir in the flour and mustard. Cook, stirring, for 1 min. Take off the heat and gradually stir in the milk, mixing it in thoroughly before adding more. Return to the heat and stir continuously until very thick (around 10 mins). Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. Crack the eggs, placing the whites into a clean bowl and stirring the yolks into the sauce. Stir in cheddar and season well.
• Adding the egg whites: Use a clean whisk to beat the egg whites until peaks form that just hold their shape (electric is best as it will make the job much quicker). Then take a metal spoon and gently stir the whipped whites into the white sauce in a figure of eight.
• Top-hatting: Spoon the mixture into the dish. Run a cutlery knife around the edge to create a 'top hat' effect; this ensures the soufflé rises above the rim and doesn't stick. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 mins until the top is golden and risen and has a slight wobble. Serve immediately.
• EQUIPMENT: 15cm soufflé dish, saucepan, 2 large mixing bowls, wooden spoon, spatula, baking sheet, large metal spoon, measuring jug, grater, electric whisk, cutlery knife.