Hilda Soufflé

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1½-quart (1.4-liter) straight-sided ceramic soufflé dish
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Medium heavy saucepan
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Flexible rubber spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the berries

   Rinse the strawberries and raspberries briefly, then dry them thoroughly. Leave small strawberries whole and halve only the larger ones. Press the raspberries through a fine-mesh sieve into a cold bowl until only the seeds remain, then fold this fresh, uncooked purée around the strawberries without crushing them. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. Do not cook the purée or leave it beside the oven; heat dulls the raspberry, and this cold, vivid contrast is the Hilda accompaniment.

   A fork and an ordinary fine sieve replace the large tamis and extra hands of the pastry station. Press patiently, scraping the underside of the sieve where the thickest purée gathers.
2. 2

   Prepare dish and oven

   Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat it to 400°F (200°C conventional / 180°C fan). Butter a 1½-quart (1.4-liter) straight-sided soufflé dish evenly from base to rim. Coat the interior with the first 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 25 g) sugar, tipping out the excess, then refrigerate the dish while you make the base. The cold butter and sugar form a fine crust that gives the rising mixture something to grip.

3. 3

   Build the lemon base

   Make a crème pâtissière citronnée (lemon pastry-cream base). Bring the milk and lemon zest just below a boil, then remove the pan from the heat for 3 minutes. Whisk the yolks with the ¼ cup (60 ml / 50 g) sugar until smooth, add the flour and salt, then pour in the hot milk gradually while whisking. Return everything to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it bubbles and thickens; continue for 1 minute so the flour loses its raw taste. Remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice gradually. If the base catches or forms lumps, lift it from the heat, whisk hard, and press it through a clean sieve. Ça se rattrape. Cover the surface directly and cool until barely warm, about 15 minutes.

4. 4

   Whip whites to gloss

   Put the 5 egg whites in a completely clean, dry bowl and whisk until they form soft peaks. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 25 g) sugar gradually, then continue only until the whites are glossy and hold a medium-firm peak whose tip bends slightly. Dry, clotted whites cannot expand properly. If they begin to look grainy, add the optional fresh white a spoonful at a time and whisk gently by hand just until the mixture becomes smooth and supple again.

   A trace of yolk or grease weakens the foam. Wipe the bowl and whisk with a little lemon juice, then dry them before the whites go in.
5. 5

   Fold and fill

   Whisk one quarter of the whites firmly into the lemon base to loosen it. Add the remaining whites in two batches, folding with a flexible spatula by cutting through the centre and sweeping up from the bottom. Turn the bowl as you work and stop when only a few fine white traces remain; more folding drives out the air you just built. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish, filling it no more than three quarters full, level the surface lightly, and run a clean thumb around the inside rim to free the edge.

6. 6

   Bake without peeking

   Put the soufflé straight into the oven and lower the temperature to 375°F (190°C conventional / 170°C fan). Bake for 28 to 32 minutes without opening the door during the first 24 minutes. It is ready when it stands well above the rim, the top is deep butter-gold, and the centre gives a gentle tremble rather than a liquid slosh. A slight lean is no catastrophe. Do not stab it with a skewer; the centre should remain tender.

7. 7

   Serve warm and cold

   Bring the chilled strawberries to the table as the soufflé leaves the oven. Break through the golden cap with a serving spoon, give each person a generous portion, and spoon the cold strawberries and raw raspberry purée alongside, never over the top where their weight would flatten it. The warm lemon crumb and cold sharp fruit must meet on the plate. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Fine strawberries means small, fragrant, fully ripe fruit, not an expensive label. This dish truly needs berry season because its purée stays raw. If the berries are hard or flat, make a plain Soufflé au citron and serve it proudly; frozen fruit belongs in a cooked sauce, not in the Hilda accompaniment.
• •Use unwaxed lemons and grate only the yellow skin. The white pith brings bitterness without useful perfume, while zest carries the clear lemon aroma the soufflé needs.
• •Have everyone seated before you fold the whites. A soufflé waits for nobody, but that is timing, not difficulty. The berry bowl, plates, and serving spoon should already be in place.
• •Serve with a small glass of demi-sec Champagne if you want wine. Its sweetness meets the dessert without smothering the raw raspberry and lemon.

Advance Preparation

• •The raspberry purée and hulled strawberries may be prepared separately up to 4 hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Fold them together about 30 minutes before the soufflé goes into the oven so the fruit becomes thoroughly cold without turning soft.
• •The lemon base may be cooked up to 4 hours ahead. Cover its surface directly, chill it, then let it stand for 15 minutes and whisk it smooth before folding in the whites.
• •The dish may be buttered and sugared earlier in the day and kept cold. Whip the whites, fold, bake, and serve only at the last moment; those steps cannot be made ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 275g)