Some souffle tips!
Souffle's are my absolute favorite food. PERIOD. Here's some tips that will help in making the perfect souffle.
1. When beating egg whites for souffles, a copper bowl is an absolute MUST! Whites should be at room temp, copper bowl perfectly clean, (use salt and half a lemon to clean) and a large balloon whisk. If you've got the copper bowl attachment for your KitchenAid, it is permissable. Whip the whites no faster than the #2 speed.....or only as fast as you could do it by hand.) Using a stainless bowl will only VULCANIZE egg whites. Remember, a finished souffle of any type, sweet OR savory, should not have to be eaten, but rather just melt on the tongue.
2. Add a little lemon juice to the whites as they are beating. The acid will give them more volume.
3. Fill the cups to the TOP. Shave off evenly with a sharp knife or spatula. Run your finger and thumb around the edge of the cup so there is a slight space between the mixture and the cup rim.
4. Take your pointer finger and dip into the mixture at the center, and swirl the souffle mixture in a circle leaving a top knot. This will make the top perfectly even like it should be, with no splits ot tears in the top.
5. Use a bain Marie! Take a pan large and deep enough to hold the souffle dishes and place it on the oven rack. Place the souffle dishes in the pan and add BOILING water halfway up the dishes. Close the oven door, and keep it closed, (no peeking) until ready to remove.
5. Serve the souffle's immediately. When serving, put two spoons akimbo (with the bowl part back to back) and drop down the middle of the souffle making a hole for the sauce. (do this quite dramatically!) Then flood the souffle with sauce!
6. The most important rule about souffle's is DON'T BE AFRAID OF THEM!!! They are delicious, and really quite easy once you get the hang of it.
****A little note here. NO PART of the souffle can or should be ''made ahead.'' If you're going to make them for a dinner party, let your guests eat, while you're in the kitchen getting the souffles ready. If that's not your style, then bake a cake or something else that can be done in advance. DON'T SERVE A VULCANIZED SOUFFLE!!! They are lots of work and it's just silly to have that all ruined by trying to ''hold'' them for after dinner! Back in 1995, I did a demo at the Greenbrier with Julia Child sitting at the end of the platform watching every move that I made. I was demoing a sweet (chocolate) and a savory (cheese) souffle. After the demo she and I ate two of each, and she commented that they were the best that she had tasted since visiting France in the 1960's!!! When they are done correctly, they are absolute ambrosia for the soul. When they aren't, they're absolutely dreadful. Most of the ones that I have had in US eateries have been honestly pretty dreadful...with the exception of Emeril's in New Orleans....and Le Cirque in NYC.....and of course, my house. Now, let's make more souffles!!! Mark
