French Classics Made Easy (11 page)

9.
Pour the soufflé mixture into the prepared mold, leveling the surface with your spatula. If any of the batter touches the rim of the mold, run your thumb around the rim to clean it off. (The soufflé can be prepared ahead to this point; see “Preparing Soufflés for the Oven Ahead of Time,”
page 264
.)

10.
Bake for 5 minutes. Lower the temperature to 425°F and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes. The soufflé should rise 1½ to 2 inches above the mold and brown lightly on the top. The top may be slightly cracked, but this is not a problem. Serve immediately.

IN ADDITION

A finished soufflé will be firm and dry around the outside edge and soft and creamy in the center. Since most Americans are used to soufflés that are considerably drier, they often feel they have made a mistake when they find the creamy center. If you prefer a drier center, allow the soufflé to remain in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes longer.

VARIATIONS

You can vary the flavor of this soufflé by adding 1 ounce grated Swiss-style cheese, such as Gruyère or Emmentaler. You might also want to add some crumbled bacon, or a few mushrooms that have been chopped and sautéed. Just remember that the more you add, the heavier the soufflé becomes. If you decide to use all of the above-mentioned ingredients in the soufflé, add one more egg white to provide a little extra lift.

ROQUEFORT SOUFFLE

[SOUFFLÉ AU ROQUEFORT]

Since the ingredients for a cheese soufflé are generally at hand, it’s easy to prepare an elegant lunch or light supper for unexpected guests. This particular version was inspired by a soufflé I had years ago at the restaurant Taillevent in Paris, but the cheese soufflé most commonly served in France is a
soufflé au fromage
(see Variation) made with Gruyère or Emmentaler. If Roquefort is difficult to find, substitute another blue cheese.

SERVES 2 OR 4

S
OUFFLE
P
ROBLEM
-S
OLVING
C
HART

Butter and all-purpose flour, for soufflé mold

1 cup milk

3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon water

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

2 ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled (about ⅔ cup)

4 egg whites

⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar

1.
Preheat the oven to 475°F with the rack set in the lowest position. Liberally butter a 4-cup soufflé mold and lightly dust with flour, tapping out any excess.

2.
In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. While the milk is heating, whisk the egg yolks and water together in a small bowl. Add the 3 tablespoons flour to the yolks and blend until smooth.

3.
Before the milk boils, stir about ¼ cup of it into the egg yolk mixture to thin it.
When the remaining milk boils, add it and stir well.

4.
Return the egg-milk mixture to the saucepan and whisk rapidly over medium-high heat, whisking the bottom and sides of the pan until the mixture thickens and boils, about 30 seconds. (Turning the pan as you whisk helps you easily reach all areas of the pan.) Continue to whisk vigorously for 1 minute while the soufflé base gently boils. It will become shiny and easier to stir.

5.
Reduce the heat to medium and allow the soufflé base to simmer while you stir in the mustard, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the cheese and mix well until it melts completely and the mixture comes to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and cover.

6.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.

7.
Pour the warm soufflé base into a large bowl. With a whisk, fold in one-third of the beaten egg whites to lighten it. Some egg white will still be visible. With a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining egg whites. Stop folding as soon as the mixture is blended; a little egg white may still be visible.

8.
Pour the soufflé mixture into the prepared mold, leveling the surface with your spatula. If any of the batter touches the rim of the mold, run your thumb around the rim to clean it off. (You can prepare the soufflé ahead to this point; see “Preparing Soufflés for the Oven Ahead of Time,”
page 264
.)

9.
Bake for 5 minutes. Lower the temperature to 425°F and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes. The soufflé should rise 1½ to 2 inches above the mold and brown lightly on the top. Serve immediately.

S
OUFFLE
S
AVOIR
-F
AIRE

The variety of soufflés that can be made is almost endless. But to be successful in creating your own variations, there are two important rules of thumb to keep in mind:

Any ingredient added to the soufflé base should be fully cooked or ready to eat, because the soufflé cooks so rapidly that there is not enough time for raw ingredients to cook.

Added ingredients should not contain excess moisture, since they will alter the soufflé’s consistency.

VARIATION

G
RUYERE
S
OUFFLE

[SOUFFLÉ AU FROMAGE]

Substitute 2 ounces grated (rounded ⅔ cup) Swiss-style cheese, such as Gruyère or Emmentaler, for the Roquefort. In step 5, when you add the cheese, be sure to return the soufflé base to a boil so the cheese loses its stringiness.

FISH MOUSSES

There are two classic types of fish mousse. One type is made with cooked fish and served cold. If you have ever made a salmon mousse with mayonnaise, heavy cream, and gelatin, you are familiar with this style. Hot fish mousses,
mousselines de poisson,
are made differently.

Classically, a
mousseline de poisson
was made by pounding uncooked fish in a large mortar with a pestle until the strands of muscle fiber were stretched and broken down to form a gummy, springy paste. Egg whites were then pounded into the fish paste. Once smooth, this paste was forced through a fine sieve, leaving any bones, tendons, or fibrous tissue behind. This refined fish paste was then chilled, and cream was added until it became the consistency of creamy mashed potatoes.

Over the years, machines have been used to speed this lengthy process. The food processor’s metal blade is usually so efficient that it cuts fish, bones, tendons, and all so small that it is not necessary to put it through a sieve, making the whole process quick and easy.

Although this way of making mousseline is much faster than the original method, the texture of the mousseline is not as smooth. To improve its texture, I use half fish and half shrimp. The shrimp pulverizes into a paste that, when poached, is very smooth. Blended with the fish, it produces a wonderful flavor and texture.

The fish mousseline is technically designed as a hot dish—as in the recipes that follow—but it is also good served cold, although you would then serve it with a cold rather than a hot sauce.

BASIC FISH MOUSSELINE

[MOUSSELINE DE POISSON]

One of the most sublime preparations to come out of the French kitchen is a well-made fish mousseline. Essentially a fish purée bound by egg whites and enriched by heavy cream, it can be poached, steamed, or baked. It can be used as a stuffing, as in Mousseline-Stuffed Trout with Two Sauces (
page 52
); or baked in a mold and served with a sauce, as for Fish Mousseline with a Hidden Scallop (
page 51
) or Mousseline Ring with Seafood (facing page); or it can be spoon-molded to make quenelles or small dumplings (see “Spoon-Molding Dumplings,”
page 71
) and served with the Tomato-Flavored Velouté (
sauce aurore,
page 316
) or saffron Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes (
page 317
). You can use the mousseline plain or change its flavor and appearance by adding chopped truffles and chopped fresh herbs.

Before molding or using the mousseline, you should test its consistency by poaching a teaspoonful in a saucepan of simmering water. It should hold its shape, yet not be too firm or springy when eaten.

SERVES 8 TO 10

1 pound skinless, boneless firm-fleshed white fish (such as flounder, cod, or tilapia), cut into 2-inch chunks

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined (see Note)

4 egg whites

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2½ cups heavy cream

1.
Place the fish and shrimp in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process the fish until it becomes a gummy paste.

2.
Add the egg whites, one by one, and process until the mixture is very smooth. Blend in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. With the machine running, add 2 cups of cream quickly in a steady stream. Turn off the processor as soon as the cream is incorporated. Too much processing at this point can cause the cream to turn to butter.

3.
Place the fish mixture in a bowl and place the bowl in a larger bowl containing ice and a little water. Stirring occasionally, let the mixture sit until cold (about 5 minutes); once cold it will stiffen and hold more cream. Stir in the remaining cream a little at a time. Poach a spoonful of the mixture to determine if it needs more seasoning, egg white, or cream. If it’s too firm and springy, it needs more cream; if it’s soft, add a little more egg white. (The mousseline can be made up to one day in advance. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.)

NOTE

You can omit the shrimp if you want and use 2 pounds of fish. The mousseline will have a somewhat grainer texture.

IN ADDITION

Unless you have tasted a hand-pounded mousseline, you would not notice that one made with a processor is a little grainy instead of being silky smooth. To improve the texture of mousseline made in a processor, I occasionally use the plastic blade instead of the metal one. In effect, the duller plastic blade pounds the fish instead of cutting it. However, a mousseline made this way must then be forced through a food mill to eliminate any bones or tendons. To me, the end results are noticeably smoother; however, I go to this extra effort only for very special occasions.