Soufflés don't play the middle ground very well: they're either good or bad. Your success as creator hinges on the height of the rise (assuming it rises), the fluffiness of that rise, the doneness of the middle, and your ability to feed your guests before the inevitable collapse.
With the quaint recipe for one in Judith Jones' new book, The Pleasures of Cooking for One, you not only evade the perilous task of making a souffle for 6 or 8, you can also make it tonight. Really. Just for yourself. And probably from scraps of cheese that you already have sitting around, just waiting to be grated and melted. Here, some tips from The Cheesemonger.
Make your soufflé making more joyful than perilous and take note:
- Decrease the amount of egg whites. Using two made the batter too volumous and overflowed from the ramekin. Try using just one. This way, you won't have to open two eggs, either, since the recipe only calls for one yolk.
- Let it rest. Don't miss pulling the roux off the heat for a moment before adding the milk, and be sure to pull the pot off the heat after the addition of the milk and before the egg yolk. And then, letting the soufflé base cool while you whip your egg white allows for proper cheese and egg incorporation. If the mixture is too hot when you fold in your whites, it'll kill them. And the rise. So resist the inclination to beat your whites before you start.
- Chill your ramekin after buttering and cheesing. This will also help with the rise.
- Be sure to use the size of ramekin that the recipe calls for, or you'll end up with extra batter. It's higher than most (4"). Your batter should come up to about 3/4"-1" below the top. And don't overfill. Put a baking dish on the rack below your ramekin just in case you have some overflow.
- Add a pinch of cream of tartar to the whites before beating to help stablize them. And remember, it's better to underbeat your whites than to overbeat them. Stiff, dry peaks won't make for as fluffy or luxurious a texture, and they won't fold into the soufflé base as cohesively.
- Use good cheese! We used a mix of Rolf Beeler Appenzeller, Borough Market clothbound cheddar, Comte, and Gruyere. You only need a 1/3 cup of cheese (plus about a tablespoon of parm to coat the ramekin), so mix and match from small bits you may have leftover.
- Don't overbake. Go for a nice golden brown, nothing darker. Browning your soufflé will have the same effect as if you were to brown your scrambled eggs. Not so tasty.
- Eat immediately! Or else...
Have fun and enjoy! Even if it's just for one.
Get the recipe: marthastewart.com
Related: Weekend Project: Make a Soufflé!
Nora Singley is an avid lover of cheese, and for some time she was a Cheesemonger and the Director of Education at Murray's Cheese Shop in New York City. She is currently an assistant chef on The Martha Stewart Show.
Images: Nora Singley
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Sorry Off topic: I know this is a food blog but I was really hoping for a mention, however slight of the despair in Haiti. Maybe even some information on how one could donate food. Anyone?
Do you have any suggestions, Shantell?
Money is the most needed right now. I recommend donating through the Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/; Wyclef Jean's organization, Yele: http://www.yele.org/; or the Clinton Foundation: http://www.clintonfoundation.org/haitiearthquake/.
On topic: I have wanted to try this soufflé ever since I first glimpsed the cover of Judith Jones' book. It looks/sounds doable and delicious.
Where did you find the ramekin the size that she calls for? (4" diameter x 2.75" high, 2 cup capacity) The closest I could find is 4"x2.25" high, 1.5 cup capacity.
hi shantell. ditto on BB's comment. it is really difficult for relief agencies to sort through material goods (foot, clothing, medical supplies, etc), so it is best to donate to a reputable charitable organization so that they can make best use and provide what's needed. wonderful that you're donating! :)
on this topic, i love souffle, though i am lazy so i think i would probably not go to all this trouble just for myself when it seems about the same amount of work to make 1 or 6, so saving it for company. looks delicious though!
omg, i meant FOOD not FOOT. :)
Thanks for the comments cgups and BetterBombshell. I have already donated money but was really looking for something more regarding food. Haiti was in despair long before the quake hit and I was just wondering if this blog had any other resources regarding donating in that manner. Cgups you make a good point regarding the relief agencies having to sift through goods and etc. I suppose financial donations make it easier for them. I think I am wanting to do more than sending in a check or a text. I want to package food, toiletries, etc and send them over there. I will look for another venue for that information, and will also keep in mind that I may not be able to do that for several weeks or months given the state of affairs there. Thanks again for your comments.
shantell - you must be kidding me. Do a google search. Or here, I'll save you some time.
http://lifehacker.com/5447987/how-and-where-to-donate-to-haiti-and-avoid-scams
You know what sygyzy I don't need your snarky comments. I am specifically speaking to sending items of food not money. I was also speaking of a mention on "this blog" of how to do so, for not only myself but for others that may be interested in sending food not just money. Whatever the case may be, this was off topic from the beginning and was written on this particular post due to the lack of anywhere else on this blog to comment about it. In any case, out of respect for the person who wrote The Perils and Joys: Cheese Soufflé, there is no need to go any further.
Yes, we are working on a post with some resources for aid to Haiti.
As someone who has worked for a nonprofit that did aid work, though, I have to reiterate the comment about sending money to reputable organizations, and not food or supplies. Unless specific supplies are specifically requested by an agency or a personal contact, they are often not quite what is needed. They are also more expensive to ship ($$ better spent on local resources and businesses).
Medical supplies, on the other hand, are often desired and if you have contacts that can supply those then that might be something to pursue.
shantell - Donate in Red Cross. They'll cover the needs in Haiti better than most.
Shantell, Haiti is a small island with only a single, badly-damaged airport in Port-au-Prince. They are having a hard enough coordinating the essential medical and constructoin relief as nations around the world fly in the most essential aid right now. Food donations are not particularly helpful at this time. There are millions of starving and impoverished people around the world, if you are looking to donate actual food, go to your local food pantry. If you want to help the poor outside of your country, money is the way to go.
Whoops! Hard enough *time*