Soufflé with Fresh Almonds

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5-quart (1.4-litre) straight-sided ceramic soufflé dish
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Handheld or stand mixer with whisk attachment
• •Large flexible spatula
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Heavy baking sheet

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the almonds

   Remove the green hulls and shells from the fresh sweet almonds, then slip away the thin skins with a small knife. If the skins cling, lower the kernels into simmering water for fifteen seconds, chill them at once, and rub them clean. Pat them completely dry, then split each kernel lengthwise into slender splinters. Do not toast them. Their raw, milky freshness is the reason for making this seasonal soufflé.

   The listed 70 g is the weight after hulling and shelling. Use cultivated sweet almonds only, never bitter almonds.
2. 2

   Ready dish and oven

   Set a rack in the lower-middle of the oven, place a heavy baking sheet on it, and heat the oven to 375°F (190°C), or 355°F (180°C) with a fan. Brush a 1.5-quart (1.4-litre) straight-sided soufflé dish with 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) of the butter, making upward strokes from base to rim. Coat it evenly with 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 13 g) of the superfine sugar, tap away the excess, and chill the dish while you make the batter.

3. 3

   Cook the panade

   Reserve 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 15 g) of the milk. Heat the rest with the vanilla seeds and pod until small bubbles gather at the edge, then cover and leave it for five minutes. Remove the pod. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, and cook this pale roux for one minute without letting it color. Whisk in the hot milk gradually, then cook for two to three minutes, stirring firmly, until the panade, the thick cooked base, turns smooth and pulls cleanly from the pan. Stir in 1/4 cup (60 ml / 50 g) of the superfine sugar. If the base seizes into lumps, take it off the heat, whisk in the reserved cold milk, and pass it through a fine sieve if needed. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Add yolks and almonds

   Let the panade cool for five minutes, until warm rather than hot. Beat in the four yolks one at a time, making the base smooth before adding the next, then stir in the fresh almond splinters. The base must remain supple enough to accept the whites. If it has cooled into a stiff paste, warm it over the gentlest heat for a few seconds while stirring, then take it off the stove before proceeding.

5. 5

   Whip and fold

   Whip the five egg whites with the salt in a spotless bowl until they hold soft peaks. Add the remaining superfine sugar gradually and continue just until the whites are glossy and hold a medium-firm peak whose tip bends slightly. Dry, clotted whites are overbeaten and difficult to fold. Stir one quarter of the whites briskly into the almond base to loosen it; this first portion is sacrificed deliberately. Fold in the rest in three additions with a broad spatula, cutting down through the centre and lifting the base over the top. Stop when only an occasional white streak remains. If the batter begins losing volume, stop folding and fill the dish immediately; a slightly uneven soufflé rises better than one polished flat.

6. 6

   Fill and bake

   Spoon the batter into the prepared dish, filling it no more than three quarters full. Level the surface gently, then run the tip of your thumb around the inside rim to make a shallow channel that frees the crown to rise evenly. Set the dish on the hot baking sheet and bake for 24 to 28 minutes without opening the oven during the first twenty. It is ready when the crown stands well above the rim, the surface is deep butter-gold, and the centre trembles slightly when nudged. The middle should be tender, not liquid. No salamander is needed; the oven gives the crown all the color it wants.

7. 7

   Serve without delay

   Dust the crown lightly with the confectioners' sugar and carry the whole dish directly to the table. Cut down through the centre with two serving spoons, opening the tender crumb and almond splinters, then serve at once. A soufflé does not wait for the table; the table waits for the soufflé. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Fresh almonds are the dish, not a decorative substitution. Look for pale, sweet kernels inside green hulls during their brief season. Out of season, make the toasted-almond cousin with dried kernels; it will be deeper and nuttier, but it will not have this milky green character.
• •Choose a straight-sided ceramic dish with enough headroom. A broad, shallow baking dish spreads the batter thin and spends its lift moving sideways. Butter and sugar the sides evenly so the batter has a fine, dry surface to climb.
• •Bring the eggs to cool room temperature before whipping, but keep the almond kernels chilled until you prepare them. Fresh almonds contain more moisture than dried ones, so drying their surfaces thoroughly protects the foam.
• •Serve with a glass of demi-sec Champagne or a lightly sweet Loire wine. Nothing else belongs on the plate. The confectioners' sugar and the fresh almonds have already finished the dish.

Advance Preparation

• •The almonds can be hulled, shelled, and skinned earlier the same day. Keep them covered in the refrigerator, then dry and splinter them shortly before mixing.
• •The panade can be prepared through the addition of the yolks up to 4 hours ahead, covered directly on its surface, and refrigerated. Let it lose its chill and stir it smooth before adding the almonds and whites.
• •Butter and sugar the soufflé dish several hours ahead and keep it chilled. Once the whites are folded into the base, there is no holding time: fill, bake, and serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 160g)