Soufflé de Laitues

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5-quart (1.4 L) straight-sided soufflé dish
• •Large stockpot and colander
• •Clean kitchen towel for squeezing the lettuce
• •Wide skillet for drying the lettuce
• •Large mixing bowl and flexible spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven and dish

   Set a rack in the lower-middle of the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C), or 350°F (175°C) with convection. Butter the bottom and sides of a 1.5-quart (1.4 L) straight-sided soufflé dish, drawing the butter upward along the walls. Those strokes give the expanding composition a clean path to climb. Keep the prepared dish cool while you work.

2. 2

   Dry the lettuce

   Drop the lettuce into a large pot of boiling water and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the leaves collapse and turn a deeper green. Drain at once, rinse briefly under cold water, and squeeze the leaves by handfuls. Wrap them in a clean towel and twist firmly until almost no water comes through, then chop them very finely. If the chopped lettuce leaves a wet film in the bowl, spread it in a wide dry pan over medium heat and stir until that film disappears. Ça se rattrape. Cool completely before it meets the eggs.

   Warm lettuce softens the soufflé base and begins cooking the eggs too early. Spread it on a plate after drying so it cools quickly.
3. 3

   Soak the anchovies

   Brush away the packing salt, separate the fillets, and remove any visible bones. Rinse them, then soak in cold water for 10 minutes, changing the water once. Drain and press thoroughly dry between towels. They should remain pleasantly salty because they season the mild lettuce, but they must not carry loose water into the soufflé.

4. 4

   Make linked composition

   Prepare one home-scale batch of the unbaked composition from Soufflé aux Épinards (No. 2139) exactly as linked, using the dry lettuce wherever that preparation calls for spinach. Keep its proportions and sequence intact. At the final fold, the whites should hold glossy medium peaks, then disappear into the base with broad turns of the spatula. Stop while a few faint white traces remain. If the whites become dry and clumpy before folding, whisk in the optional fresh egg white by hand until they regain a supple gloss, then continue.

5. 5

   Layer the soufflé

   Spread one-third of the composition in the buttered dish without pressing out its air. Arrange six anchovy fillets over it as a loose lattice, three in one direction and three crossing them. Add another third of the composition and repeat with six more fillets. Spoon over the final third, shaping it into a gentle dome, then lay the remaining anchovies across the top in two crossed rows. Wipe the rim clean so the soufflé rises evenly.

6. 6

   Bake without peeking

   Bake immediately for 28 to 35 minutes. Keep the oven closed for at least the first 24 minutes, while the egg-white structure is still fragile. The Soufflé de Laitues is ready when it stands well above the rim, the dome is deep butter-gold, and the centre gives a gentle wobble rather than a liquid slosh. If the top colours before the centre reaches that point, reduce the oven to 350°F (175°C) and continue for 4 to 6 minutes.

7. 7

   Serve at once

   Carry the dish directly to the table and spoon down through the anchovy layers so every serving receives lettuce, airy interior, and a little salt. A soufflé begins settling as soon as it leaves the oven because that is its nature, not a failure. Never apologize at your own table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use romaine hearts for body and butter lettuce for tenderness. Iceberg carries too much water and too little flavour; no amount of ceremony can persuade it otherwise.
• •Salt-packed anchovies best match the source because cleaning and soaking tame their force without washing away their character. If only oil-packed fillets are available, rinse them briefly in cold water, dry them well, and do not leave them soaking.
• •Fill the soufflé dish no more than three-quarters full. If the linked batch leaves a little extra, bake it separately in a buttered ramekin rather than crowding the main dish.
• •No cheese and no breadcrumbs. The bronzed crown comes from butter, eggs, and enveloping oven heat, while the anchovies provide all the savoury depth the lettuce needs.
• •Serve beside plain roast chicken, veal, or a simply cooked white fish. A dry Muscadet or restrained white Burgundy has enough freshness for the eggs and enough composure for the anchovies.

Advance Preparation

• •The lettuce can be blanched, squeezed, chopped, and dried up to 1 day ahead. Chill it in a covered container, then bring it only to cool room temperature before making the composition.
• •The anchovies can be cleaned and soaked up to 4 hours ahead. Dry them carefully and refrigerate them between pieces of absorbent paper.
• •Any make-ahead work on Soufflé aux Épinards (No. 2139) follows that linked entry. Once the whites are folded, layer the composition and place it in the oven within 5 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 230g)