Basic Soufflé
Crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside, a soufflé can be filled with many of your favourite ingredients. Making a soufflé is actually a simple process, despite its reputation for being difficult to make. Try adding cheese, crab, vegetables and more for a decadent dinner.
- Serves:
- 4
- Prep Time:
- 10 min
- Cook Time:
- 20 min
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ( 30 mL ) butter
- 2 tbsp ( 30 mL ) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp ( 2.5 mL ) salt
- Pinch pepper
- ¾ cup ( 175 mL ) milk (1%)
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 egg whites
- ¼ tsp ( 1.25 mL ) cream of tartar
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 375° F (190° C).
-
Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Stir in milk all at once. Continue stirring until mixture boils and is smooth and thickened.
-
Separate eggs. Beat yolks well and add ¼ cup (50 mL) of warm sauce mixture to egg yolks.
-
Combine yolk mixture with remaining sauce, blending thoroughly. If desired, add finely chopped filling ingredients, stirring into white sauce until blended (see variations). Set sauce aside to cool slightly.
-
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl, until stiff but not dry. Fold some of the egg whites into sauce to make it lighter, then gently but thoroughly fold the sauce into the remaining egg whites.
-
Carefully pour into 4-cup (1 L) soufflé or casserole dish.
-
Bake in preheated 375° F (190° C) oven until puffed and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Serve immediately.
Notes
Variations:
Cheese Soufflé: Stir 1 cup (250 mL) grated Swiss cheese and 2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped green onions into sauce mixture.
Crab Soufflé: Stir 1 drained can (6 oz/170 g) crab meat, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried thyme, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) curry powder, and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) garlic salt into sauce mixture.
Vegetable Soufflé: Stir 1 cup (250 mL) cooked shredded carrot, 1/2 cup (125 mL) grated Cheddar cheese, and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) dried dillweed into sauce mixture.
Tips:
Never add egg yolks to a hot sauce all at once as they may begin to coagulate too rapidly and form lumps.
It's easier to separate the white from the yolk when an egg is cold.
A small funnel can be used for separating egg whites from yolks. Place the funnel over a measuring cup. Crack the egg over the funnel. The white will run through and the yolk will remain in the funnel.
To make a collar for a soufflé if needed, cut a strip of aluminum foil, double thickness, 4 inches (10 cm) wide and long enough to go around the dish, allowing for at least a 3-inch (8 cm) overlap. Wrap it around the outside of the dish and fasten with string. The collar should extend 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) above the rim of the dish.