Hello Friends!
With restaurant prices rising to insane levels in my neighborhood, I have resorted to making more fancy restaurant favorites at home. My favorite Japanese nabeyaki udon (soup with noodles, veg, and protien) at a nearby restaurant used to cost me $17 last year–this year the cost climbed to a whopping $27! For a bowl of soup! I understand the restaurant has increasing overhead costs, but I have no choice but to scale back on my restaurant outings. Now I go out to eat twice a month, and make my favorites at home.
One of my favorite dishes in French restaurants is the souffle. Whether sweet or savory, these puffy clouds of goodness are so ethereal to bite into–with a crisp or crackly crust on top revealing tender dough beneath. I had the amazing opportunity to work alongside a French chef, to learn her secrets to making the perfect souffle. And guess what? I am going to share her secrets and recipes with you!
As it turns out, there are tons of little tips and tricks to follow to ensure that these billowy pillows of French flavor do not collapse. From how to butter the molds, to how to whip and fold the ingredients, to how to bake, there is a chance to make or break the souffle at every step. But if you follow the recipe below and the technique in my video, you will have a tremendous chance of success. The chef at La Cuisine Paris showed us how to make 2 varieties, this cheese and chive souffle:
‘
And a chocolate souffle, along with a nutty and crunchy sesame brittle and whipped cream:
Are you ready for a french culinary adventure without having to deal with the airport or a packed plane? Check out the video and recipe below and you will be on your way!
Here is the video of the sesame brittle alone if you want to make this incredibly delicious candy, also known as “Simsimiya” in the Middle East:
Souffle Au Fromage (Souffle with Cheese)
- Molds: Butter, Flour
- Mornay Sauce (Souffle batter)
- 30 g Butter
- 30 g Flour
- 250 g milk
- 3 egg yolks
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp Ground nutmeg
- 80 g Grated Gruyere, plus more for topping
- 4 egg whites
- 1 bunch chives, finely chopped
- Butter 4 ramekins generously, then sprinkle with flour and remove excess. Preheat the oven to 390 F or 200C. Bring the milk to a boil in a saucepan, set aside. Heat butter in another saucepan, then add flour while whisking vigorously. Gradually pour the milk into the flour butter “roux” and keep whisking to avoid clumps. Let cool slightly, then add the egg yolks and whisk into the milk mixture. Then add the cheese and whisk until well incorporated. The mixture should look like a cheese fondue. In a separate bowl, blend the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then gently fold the egg whites into the cheese and milk mixture. Fold in the chives, then pour into the ramekins ¾ of the way up. Wipe any batter off the top of each ramekin. Top each one with a sprinkle of more grated cheese. Bake the souffles for 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of the molds. If you pour all of them into one large mold, it will take 45 minutes to bake. Serve immediately
Souffle Au Chocolate
- Molds: Butter and Sugar
- Souffle Batter
- 300 g dark chocolate (60-70%)
- 20 g cornstarch
- 300 g milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 6 egg whites
- 30 g sugar
- Butter 4-6 ramekins generously, then sprinkle with sugar and remove excess. Preheat the oven to 390 F or 200 C. Receive about ¼ cup of the milk, and whisk in the cornstarch. This will be used to thicken the ganache. In a saucepan, heat the milk, then whisk in the cornstarch milk mixture and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the chocolate combine with a spatula until melted. Remove the pan from the heat, then whisk in the egg yolks. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the chocolate mixture, then fill up each ramekin ¾ of the way. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately.
