Soufflé with Filbert

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Straight-sided 1.2-liter porcelain soufflé dish
• •Small heavy-bottomed saucepan
• •Very fine-mesh sieve and cheesecloth
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Heavy baking sheet
• •Broad flexible spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare dish and oven

   Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C), or 375°F (190°C) with a fan, with a heavy baking sheet on the lower-middle rack. Brush a straight-sided 1.2-liter soufflé dish with 1 tablespoon (14 g) of the butter, working from base to rim, then coat it with 1 tablespoon (13 g) of the sugar. Tap out the excess and chill the dish while you make the base. Separate the eggs, keeping every trace of yolk away from the whites.

2. 2

   Infuse, then strain

   Bring the milk just to the first quiver in a small saucepan, then remove it from the heat. Stir in the Pralin (No. 2352), cover, and leave it to infuse for 15 minutes. Pass the milk through a very fine sieve lined with damp cheesecloth, pressing gently enough to recover the liquid without forcing nut particles through. Rub a drop between two fingers. If you feel grit, strain it again through fresh damp cloth. Ça se rattrape now; once the flour goes in, that sandy texture stays.

   Use the nougat-powder form of Pralin (No. 2352), prepared with dried filberts in place of almonds. The egg-white icing form bearing the same name is not the preparation called for here.
3. 3

   Build the roux base

   Rinse and dry the saucepan. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter over medium-low heat, stir in the flour, and cook this pale roux, the butter-and-flour foundation, for 1 minute without letting it color. Add the strained filbert milk gradually, whisking after each addition. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring firmly, until the base is glossy, very thick, and leaves a clean trail across the pan. If it forms lumps, take it off the heat and whisk hard; if any remain, press the warm base through a clean fine sieve. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then beat in the yolks one at a time.

4. 4

   Whip glossy whites

   Put the egg whites and salt in a spotless bowl. Whisk at medium speed until they form soft peaks that bend at their tips, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar gradually. Continue only until the whites are glossy and hold medium-firm peaks. Stop before they turn dry or clotted. Supple whites stretch in the oven; overbeaten whites break into pellets and cannot lift the base evenly.

5. 5

   Fold with restraint

   Whisk one-quarter of the whites into the filbert base to loosen it. Add half the remaining whites and fold with a broad spatula, cutting down through the center, sweeping along the bottom, and turning the mixture over itself. Repeat with the final whites just until no large white streaks remain. A few fine threads are safer than stirring the air away.

6. 6

   Fill and bake

   Spoon the mixture into the chilled dish and smooth the top without pressing. Run a clean thumb around the inside edge to make a shallow channel, which frees the crown to rise cleanly. Set the dish on the hot baking sheet and bake for 22 to 26 minutes without opening the door during the first 18 minutes. It is ready when it stands 4 to 5 cm above the rim, the top is deep filbert gold, and the center gives a slight tremor rather than a liquid slosh.

   A soufflé that settles slightly after leaving the oven has not failed. That is its nature. What matters is carrying it straight from oven to table while the crown is still proud.
7. 7

   Serve without delay

   Bring the soufflé to the table in its baking dish and divide it with a large spoon, reaching down for the tender center and the sugared edge in every serving. Plates and guests must already be waiting. The soufflé waits for no speech. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The source proportion is two ounces of filbert Pralin (No. 2352) for each one-sixth imperial pint of milk. Using 108 g with 180 ml preserves that ratio at a size suited to four servings.
• •Straining is not brigade decoration. It is the texture of the dish. A fine sieve lined with damp cheesecloth gives the home cook the same silken infusion that repeated pounding and sieving supplied in a pastry kitchen.
• •Serve this alone, without cream or sauce covering its filbert perfume. A small glass of amber vin doux naturel from Roussillon is generous enough beside it, and the caramel notes sit beautifully together.

Advance Preparation

• •Have the finished filbert Pralin (No. 2352) ready in advance and keep it tightly sealed in a dry cupboard. Do not prepare its separate formula during soufflé service.
• •The milk can be infused and strained earlier in the day, then covered and refrigerated. Warm it gently before building the roux.
• •The cooked base can be completed through the yolks up to 4 hours ahead. Cover its surface directly, refrigerate it, and take it out 20 minutes before folding. Whip the whites only when the oven, dish, plates, and guests are ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 135g)