Soufflé with Liqueur

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1¼-quart (1.2-litre) straight-sided ceramic soufflé dish
• •2-quart (2-litre) heavy saucepan
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment
• •Balloon whisk
• •Flexible silicone spatula
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Heavy rimmed baking sheet

Instructions

1. 1

   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 400°F (200°C) for at least 25 minutes. Butter a 1¼-quart (1.2-litre) straight-sided soufflé dish with upward strokes, coat it completely with the granulated sugar, and tap out the excess. The butter gives flavour; the sugar gives the batter a dry, climbable wall.

2. 2

   Make the cream base

   If using rum, orange curaçao, or anisette, make the cream base. Heat the milk just until small bubbles gather at the edge. In a bowl, whisk the yolks with the cream-base sugar, flour, and salt until pale and smooth, then pour in the warm milk gradually while whisking. Return everything to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until very thick; once it bubbles, continue for 1 minute so the flour loses its raw taste. Remove from the heat and beat in the butter. If the base forms lumps, whisk it hard and pass it through a fine sieve while warm. Ça se rattrape. Spread it in a shallow bowl and let it cool until barely warm.

3. 3

   Or cook fruit base

   If using kirsch or kümmel, make the fruit base instead. Whisk the cold fruit purée with the fruit-base sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan before applying heat. Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until it becomes a glossy paste that holds a trail from the whisk, then let it bubble gently for 1 minute. If it catches into small lumps, pass it through a fine sieve at once. Spread it in a shallow bowl and cool until barely warm.

4. 4

   Scent the base

   Stir the chosen liqueur into the barely warm base. Use rum, orange curaçao, or anisette only with the cream preparation; use kirsch or kümmel only with the fruit preparation. The base should fall heavily from the spatula, not pour like custard. If it is still warm enough to heat the bowl, wait, because a hot base collapses the whites before the oven can lift them.

5. 5

   Whip supple whites

   Whip the 4 egg whites in a perfectly clean bowl until they form soft hooked peaks. Add the superfine sugar gradually and continue only until the meringue is glossy and holds a medium peak whose tip bends slightly. Stop there. If the whites become dry, clumpy, or chalky, whisk in the optional fresh white a little at a time until they turn supple again. Ça se rattrape, but only before folding.

   A trace of yolk or grease prevents the whites from gaining volume. Wipe the bowl and whisk with a little vinegar, then dry them well before starting.
6. 6

   Fold without fear

   Beat one-quarter of the meringue firmly into the chosen base to loosen it. Add half the remaining whites and fold with a flexible spatula, cutting through the centre, sweeping along the bowl, and turning the mixture over itself. Fold in the final whites just until no large white pockets remain. A few pale streaks are better than a perfectly uniform batter beaten flat.

7. 7

   Fill and bake

   Spoon the batter into the prepared dish, filling it to about ¾ inch (2 cm) below the rim. Level the top lightly, then run a clean thumb around the inside edge to make a shallow channel that helps the crown rise evenly. Set the dish on the heated baking sheet, close the oven, and immediately lower the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Bake without opening the door for 18 minutes, then continue for 4 to 8 minutes, until the crown is deep butter-gold, the edges are set, and the centre still quivers slightly. A thin skewer should emerge with moist crumbs but no liquid batter; the centre should reach at least 160°F (71°C).

8. 8

   Serve at once

   Dust the crown lightly with confectioners' sugar and carry the Soufflé directly to the table. It will begin settling within minutes because that is what a properly tender soufflé does. Seat the guests before it leaves the oven, not after. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The bottle follows the base. Cream carries rum, orange curaçao, and anisette; fruit carries kirsch and kümmel. The kümmel pairing may sound unusual, but its caraway perfume needs fruit's acidity more than cream's softness.
• •Choose a proper orange curaçao, clear or amber, rather than a brightly coloured novelty bottle. Anisette is sweeter than rum, but keep the measured amount unchanged so the base remains thick enough to support the whites.
• •Vanilla also belongs to the cream-base family named by the classical entry, but it is an alternate flavouring rather than a liqueur. Used alone, it makes Soufflé à la Vanille, a cousin rather than this exact dessert.
• •A straight-sided ceramic dish matters more than a specialized copper mould. Butter upward, sugar every patch, and preheat the oven thoroughly. Cooking well is not cooking fancy.
• •A fallen Soufflé has not become inedible; it has become a tender baked pudding. Serve it promptly and never apologize at your own table.

Advance Preparation

• •Either base may be cooked up to 24 hours ahead. Press reusable wrap directly against its surface, chill it, and let it lose its refrigerator chill before adding the liqueur.
• •The soufflé dish may be buttered and sugared several hours ahead and kept in a cool place. Check that the sugar still coats the sides evenly before filling it.
• •Whip the whites, fold the batter, and bake only when the table is ready. Once folded, the mixture should reach the oven within 5 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 120g)