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Soufflés
A light, airy mixture that
usually begins with a thick egg yolk-based
sauce or purée that is lightened by stiffly
beaten egg whites.
Soufflés may be savory or
sweet, hot or cold. Baked soufflés are much
more fragile than those that are chilled or
frozen because the hot air entrapped in the
soufflé begins to escape (causing the
mixture to deflate) as soon as the dish is
removed from the oven.
Savory soufflés are usually served as a main
dish, are almost always hot and can be
made with a variety of ingredients including
cheese, meat, fish or vegetables. Dessert
soufflés may be baked, chilled or frozen and
are most often flavored with fruit purées,
chocolate, lemon or liqueurs. Both sweet and
savory soufflés are often accompanied by a
complementary sauce.
Soufflés are customarily
baked in a classic soufflé dish, which is
round and has straight sides to facilitate
the soufflé's rising. These special dishes
are ovenproof and come in a variety of sizes
ranging from 31⁄2-ounce (individual) to
2-quart. They're available in kitchenware
shops and the housewares section of most
department stores. Foil or parchment
"collars" are sometimes wrapped around the
outside of a soufflé dish so that the top of
the foil or paper rises about 2 inches above
the rim of the dish. Such collars are used
for cold dessert soufflés so that the sides
of the frozen or molded mixture are
supported until they set. Once the collar is
removed, the soufflé stands tall and appears
to "rise" out of the dish. |
