Pommes de Terre à la Roxelane

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Rimmed baking sheet
• •Parchment paper
• •Potato ricer or fine-mesh sieve
• •Small sharp knife and teaspoon
• •Medium mixing bowl
• •Balloon whisk or electric hand mixer
• •Flexible spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Bake the potatoes

   Heat a conventional oven to 205°C (400°F), or 190°C (375°F) with a fan. Prick the potatoes several times and bake them directly on the rack for 55 to 70 minutes, until a skewer passes through without resistance and the skins feel dry. Do not wrap them in foil. Trapped moisture gives you wet pulp, and wet pulp cannot support a Soufflé.

   A floury potato is the modern answer to the source's fine Dutch potato. Russet or another dry baking variety gives light pulp; a waxy potato stays dense however faithfully you beat it.
2. 2

   Hollow the brioches

   While the potatoes bake, cut the knobs cleanly from the brioches. With a small spoon, remove the crumb from each lower half, leaving the browned crust and a thin wall of crumb intact so the shell does not tear. The result should resemble a small timbale, open at the top and sturdy at the base. Set the shells upright on a parchment-lined baking sheet; the knobs are not replaced.

3. 3

   Build the potato base

   Split the potatoes as soon as they leave the oven, scoop out the pulp, and pass it through a potato ricer or fine sieve while hot. Work in all the butter, one small piece at a time, followed by both yolks and the salt. Add the warm cream by spoonfuls, using only enough to make a smooth base that falls from the spoon in a slow, heavy ribbon but still holds a mound. If butter gathers in a slick, stop adding cream and beat steadily as the mixture cools for a minute; if it remains separated, beat in 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of warm cream. Ça se rattrape. If the base spreads flat, it is too loose, so let it stand for five minutes before adding anything else.

   A ricer or sieve keeps the potato light. A food processor works the starch into paste, and no quantity of whipped white can make glue rise gracefully.
4. 4

   Whip and fold

   Lower the conventional oven to 165°C (325°F), or 150°C (300°F) with a fan, opening the door briefly to release excess heat. In a spotless, dry bowl, whisk one egg white until it holds a stiff, glossy peak. If yolk or fat prevents it from mounting, wash and dry the bowl and whisk, then begin again with the reserved second white. Stir one-third of the whipped white firmly into the potato to lighten it, then fold in the remainder with broad strokes from the bottom of the bowl. Stop when only the faintest white streak remains; chasing perfect uniformity knocks out the air you need.

5. 5

   Fill the timbales

   Divide the potato mixture among the six hollowed brioches, filling each just to the cut edge and mounding the center slightly. Sprinkle the chopped truffle evenly over the tops and press it only lightly into the surface. Work without dawdling once the white has been folded, because every minute on the tray is lift surrendered before the oven can set it.

6. 6

   Bake and serve

   Bake for 18 to 22 minutes without opening the oven during the first 12 minutes. The filling is ready when it has risen above the brioche, the top is lightly golden, and the center springs back softly when touched. If the brioche edges brown before the filling sets, shield the crusts loosely with narrow collars of foil and continue for another 3 to 5 minutes. Bring the timbales straight to the table; a Soufflé waits for no carving ceremony. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The source's fine Dutch potato is a description the modern market no longer uses reliably. Choose Russet or another dry, floury baking potato. Low moisture matters more than pedigree here.
• •Fresh black truffle is splendid when the season offers it. A preserved whole black truffle, drained and chopped, is the classical pantry's honest answer at other times. Truffle oil is not the same ingredient and gives the dish a blunt perfume.
• •Look for small brioches à tête with well-browned crusts. Day-old brioche is easier to hollow and holds its shape better; if only plain individual brioche rolls are available, cut a small lid from each and hollow the lower portion in the same way.
• •Serve these beside roast veal, filet de boeuf, or a simply roasted chicken. A dry Champagne or a white Burgundy has enough freshness to meet the butter, yolk, and truffle without competing with them.
• •The timbales are best from the oven. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and reheat them at 150°C (300°F) for about 10 minutes, but understand the bargain: the flavor remains, while some of the Soufflé's lift does not.

Advance Preparation

• •The brioches may be hollowed one day ahead and kept airtight at room temperature. Do not refrigerate them, which makes their crumb stale and leathery.
• •The potato base may be prepared through the butter, yolks, cream, and salt up to 6 hours ahead. Press parchment directly against its surface, chill it promptly, then let it stand for 30 minutes before beating it smooth. Fold in the whipped white only when the oven is ready.
• •Chop a preserved truffle earlier the same day and keep it covered in the cold. Chop a fresh truffle close to baking so its perfume remains in the dish rather than on the cutting board.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)