by Marlene Parrish
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette A souffle is little more than a mixture of beaten eggs and flavorings that is sometimes stabilized with a sauce. They are puffy with a fine gossamer texture, and they have a bad rep for being temperamental. But souffles are simple to make and are not fussy about the way they are baked. They can be cooked at various temperatures and made in all kinds of cookware. The classic souffle, rising majestically out of a deep ceramic dish, is just one of many ways to present them.
Flat dishes, especially metal ones, spread the heat evenly and quickly. Souffles baked in flat dishes puff up and rise almost as much as those baked in a traditional souffle dish. Better yet, the flat souffle cooks in much less time--12 to 15 minutes in a hot oven--compared to the usual 30 to 45 minutes for a deep-dish souffle baked in a medium-hot oven. With everything at the ready, a dessert souffle can be quickly made while the table is being cleared and the coffee is being made.
I encountered my first flat souffle on a ski trip to Austria, near Salzburg, 25 years ago. There, the signature dish of the city is called Salzburger Nockerl. The fluffy, sweet souffle mixture is plopped into an oval dish in large oval mounds. When baked and drifted with confectioners' sugar, the dessert looks like a mini-Alpine mountain range. It eats like a cloud.
Since then, I've copied the idea, making the occasional souffle in my copper All-Clad oval au gratin pan that hangs from my kitchen pot rack.
I've made lemon and chocolate classic dessert souffles for company, and for family, I bake a souffle as a quick solution when I have good intentions but a bare pantry.
A good double-decker version that my kids always liked has a bottom layer of lightly steamed broccoli topped by a cheddar-cheese souffle.
When inspired, I'll make a triple-decker--pieces of salmon on the bottom of the pan, a layer of spinach lightly sauteed in olive oil with garlic and hot-pepper flakes topped with a basic souffle mixture. It's all done ahead except whipping the egg whites. Guests think I'm some kind of magician.
Souffles can be cooked in almost any type of shallow container. If the All-Clad metal pan isn't in your pantry, substitute a skillet, a shallow casserole or a chafing dish. For best results, keep an eye on the souffle through the oven window. The oval metal pan, with a 2-quart top capacity, handles any recipe that calls for a 1-1/2-quart dish.
Separate the eggs when they are cold, and the whites will easily slip away from the yolks. But for best volume, allow the egg whites to reach room temperature before you beat them.
Don't beat the whites to the stiff dry stage used for meringue. When using a flat pan, beat the egg whites only until soft peaks form, and be careful not to overbeat. The whipped egg bubbles need room to expand in the oven.
Always fold egg whites into the other ingredients by hand, using an up-and-over motion with a plastic spatula. Do not stir or beat. Add egg whites to cream or other mixtures in two portions. Fold in the first portion--about 1/3 of the whites--fairly well. Fold in the remaining 2/3 of the whites very lightly and gently.
The flavored base can be prepared well in advance of serving. All that remains to be done before baking is to fold the beaten egg whites into the base.
Flat souffles are cooked in a 400-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. If you like a souffle to be rather moist with a saucy center, shake the pan to test. It will be firm around the edges but still wobbly in the center. If you want it firm all the way through, remove it from the oven when it doesn't wobble, but be careful not to overbake.
Souffles served alone can be boring, so always match them with a contrast in texture on the plate. A savory souffle can be paired with a vegetable or crisp salad. A dessert souffle goes nicely with shortbread or other crisp delicate cookie.
When you want to build a menu around this brunch or supper dish, think cheese omelet flavors--same ingredients, different shape. A slice of ham frazzled on the edges or thick strips of crisp bacon would be good, with sauteed cherry tomatoes or baked whole tomatoes on the side. If there's any souffle left, it will repuff to almost original height when reheated in the oven for a quickie breakfast.
Nippy Cheese Souffle
Ingredients:
6 large eggs
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground mustard
dash cayenne pepper
1-1/2 cups hot milk
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (4 oz.)
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spritz an oval au gratin or oval saute pan with nonstick cooking spray. The pan size should be approximately 12 by 8 inches.
Separate eggs, placing the yolks in a small dish and the whites in a large, clean mixing bowl. Set aside.
Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan or top of double-boiler set over boiling water. Blend the flour, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper in a small dish, then stir into the melted butter. Cook and stir for two minutes.
Add milk slowly, whisking constantly, to make a smooth and thick white sauce. Cook for two minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add grated cheese and stir until cheese is melted.
Whisk egg yolks to break them up. Then add a few tablespoons of the cheese sauce to them to warm them. Now add the warmed egg yolks back into the cheese sauce and whisk to combine. The sauce may be completed to this point in advance and left at room temperature for an hour.
Beat egg whites with a portable electric mixer until shiny and floppy peaks are formed when beater is withdrawn. Whisk 1/3 of the whites into the cheese sauce. When well-mixed, fold the remaining 2/3 of the whites into the sauce.
Pour mixture into the baking dish. Bake about 15 minutes until the surface of the souffle is puffy and brown, but the middle jiggles when the pan is gently shaken. Bring to the table for serving immediately.
To serve, cut portions from the side so that each serving has some firm souffle and some of the saucy part.
Yield: 6 servings
Salzburg Dessert Souffle
Call it by its Austrian name, Salzburger Nockerl. Make three mounds in the baking dish--they will puff into mountains. Dust heavily with confectioners' sugar before serving. From Time Life Foods of the World.
Ingredients:
butter and sugar for the pan
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 Tbs. flour
4 egg whites
pinch of salt
2 Tbs. sugar
confectioners' sugar
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter an oval baking dish or skillet that is attractive enough to serve from. Use a metal pan approximately 12 by 8 inches or a ceramic one measuring 10 by 8 inches. Both are common sizes for oval baking containers.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, break the egg yolks up with a fork and stir in the vanilla and lemon peel. Sprinkle the flour over the yolk mixture.
In another bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they cling to the beater. Add the sugar and beat until the whites form stiff, unwavering peaks. With a rubber spatula, stir an overflowing tablespoon of the whites into the yolk-flour mixture, then reverse the process and fold the yolk mixture into the rest of the egg whites, using an over-under cutting motion instead of a mixing motion. Don't overfold.
Using the rubber spatula, make three mounds of the mixture in the dish.
Bake the souffle in the middle of the oven 10 to 12 minutes or until it is lightly brown on the outside but still soft on the inside. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.
Yield: 6 servings
Onion Herb Frittata
Here's another use for the oval pan. This easy frittata can be made in advance and served warm or at room temperature for brunch or light supper. Leftovers can be warmed up for breakfast. The frittata does not puff and looks great served from the pan. (From Williams-Sonoma catalog.)
Ingredients:
1 large red onion, peeled and sliced
1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced
2 Tbs. olive oil
10 large eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper
pinch hot-pepper flakes
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an oval au gratin dish or oval metal saute pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and saute until soft--about five minutes. Transfer them to a small bowl.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the seasonings until combined. Add the heavy cream and cheese and mix until blended. Stir in the parsley and rosemary.
Transfer the egg mixture into oval pan. Arrange cooked onions over top of eggs, and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until frittata is golden and cooked through--about 12 to 15 minutes. It will continue to tighten after it is removed from the oven.
Yield: about 6 servings
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