French Classics Made Easy (10 page)

6.
Before folding the omelet, place the livers across the center. Fold the portion of the omelet nearest to you so it partially covers the livers. Gently push the omelet forward in the pan so the unfilled portion rises up the side of the pan. Using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, fold this portion over to enclose the filling.

7.
Turn the omelet, folded side down, out onto a plate (see “How to Fold an Omelet,”
page 37
) and pour the reserved sauce around it. Serve immediately.

IN ADDITION

Ingredients used to flavor an omelet are sometimes mixed with the eggs before cooking (as in the Omelet with Herbs,
page 36
), whereas others are folded inside the omelet after it is cooked (as in Turkish Omelet). Although the choice of where to place the ingredients is often a personal one, I like to avoid mixing anything with the eggs that would cause them to discolor, such as tomatoes or sautéed mushrooms.

VARIATIONS

R
ATATOUILLE
O
MELET

[OMELETTE À LA RATATOUILLE]

Substitute 2 to 3 rounded tablespoons of Ratatouille (
page 193
) for the chicken liver filling (steps 1 and 2).

G
RUYERE
O
MELET

[OMELETTE AU FROMAGE]

The classic cheese for an
omelette au fromage
is Gruyère or Emmentaler. If you use another cheese it is no longer
omelette au fromage
but, for example,
omelette au camembert.

In place of the chicken liver filling (steps 1 and 2), place 2 to 3 rounded tablespoons (about 1 ounce) of grated Swiss-style cheese, such as Gruyère or Emmentaler, across the center of the omelet before folding.

SOUFFLES

The soufflé is perhaps the most famous creation ever to come out of the French kitchen. Light, airy, and delicately flavored, it is most often described in celestial terms. Restaurants rarely offer soufflés on their menus, but many will prepare one if ordered in advance.

I was taught that a soufflé must be made and baked at the last possible moment, and that it can never wait for your guests but rather your guests must wait for it. Over the years I have learned and refined techniques that will allow you to prepare most soufflés in advance (see “Preparing Soufflés for the Oven Ahead of Time,”
page 264
), and to bake them without collars in 10 minutes or less. I cook soufflés in a very hot oven (475°F) so that the surface sets immediately in the high heat, as do the sides as they rise from the mold. The resulting light crust holds the soufflé together as it rises and eliminates the need for the paper collar often used to give extra height and support. (A note of caution, however: This high-temperature method only works with molds no larger than 4 to 5 cups.)

Traditionally, a soufflé is made of a base, a purée or flavoring, and stiffly beaten egg whites. For most classic savory soufflés, the base is essentially a thick béchamel sauce (made with butter, flour, and milk) to which a flavoring (cheese, spinach, ham) and egg yolks are added, before being lightened with stiffly beaten egg whites. Although this base is called for in most soufflé recipes, in my experience even fairly proficient cooks have problems with it. If the base is undercooked, it will be too thin and the soufflé will break off as it rises out of the mold. If overcooked, it will be too thick to easily incorporate with the beaten egg whites, and the results are often heavy or lumpy.

A dessert soufflé, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to suffer these problems and it uses a base made without butter. I have therefore adapted this idea for savory soufflés, using what is effectively a sugarless pastry cream as a base.

Should you encounter problems while learning to make soufflés, see the “Soufflé Problem-Solving Chart” on
page 45
.

HAM SOUFFLE

[SOUFFLÉ AU JAMBON]

Aham soufflé makes a wonderful lunch or light supper when served with a green salad and dessert. The ham used can be baked ham, simple boiled ham, or more flavorful smoked or imported hams. The soufflé serves two for lunch or four as a first course.

SERVES 2 OR 4

Butter and all-purpose flour, for soufflé mold

1 cup milk

3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon water

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon Madeira

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ pound ham (boiled, baked, or smoked), finely chopped

4 egg whites

⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar

1.
Preheat the oven to 475°F with the rack set in the lowest position. Liberally butter a 4-cup soufflé mold and lightly dust with flour, tapping out any excess.

2.
In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. While the milk is heating, whisk the egg yolks and water together in a small bowl. Add the 3 tablespoons flour to the yolks and blend until smooth and free of lumps.

3.
Before the milk boils, stir about ¼ cup of it into the egg yolk mixture to thin it. When the remaining milk boils, add it to the egg yolk mixture and stir well.

4.
Return the egg-milk mixture to the saucepan and whisk rapidly over medium-high heat, whisking the bottom and sides of the pan until the mixture thickens and boils, about 30 seconds. (Turning the pan as you whisk helps you easily reach all areas of the pan.) Continue to whisk vigorously for 1 minute while the soufflé base gently boils. It will become shiny and easier to stir.

5.
Reduce the heat to medium and allow the soufflé base to simmer while you stir in the pepper, Madeira, mustard, and ham. Remove the pan from the heat and cover.

6.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.

7.
Pour the warm soufflé base into a large bowl. With a whisk, fold in one-third of the beaten egg whites to lighten it. Some egg white will still be visible. With a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining egg whites. Stop folding as soon as the mixture is blended; a little egg white may still be visible.

8.
Pour the soufflé mixture into the prepared mold, leveling the surface with your spatula. If any of the batter touches the rim of the mold, run your thumb around the rim to clean it off.
(You can prepare the soufflé ahead to this point; see “Preparing Soufflés for the Oven Ahead of Time,”
page 264
.)

9.
Bake for 5 minutes. Lower the temperature to 425°F and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes. The soufflé should rise 1½ to 2 inches above the mold and brown lightly on the top. The top of this soufflé has a tendency to crack slightly. Serve immediately.

VARIATION

S
MOKED
S
ALMON
S
OUFFLE

[SOUFFLÉ AU SAUMON FUMÉ]

Substitute ¼ pound finely chopped smoked salmon (or any other smoked fish) for the ham. Omit the Madeira and mustard. Add 2 tablespoons chopped chives or dill with the fish in step 5.

B
EATING
E
GG
W
HITES
: The Magic of the Copper Bowl

A firmly beaten egg white is the “secret” of the success of all soufflés and many desserts; and there is no firmer egg white than the one that has been beaten by hand with a balloon whisk in an unlined copper bowl.

When egg whites are beaten in a copper bowl, the copper combines with the protein to form a polymer. Simply put, this means that the protein molecules and the copper combine to form a strong chemical chain. This allows you to beat the egg whites until they are very stiff without their breaking down.

When egg whites are not beaten in a copper bowl, a little cream of tartar should be added to the egg whites. Cream of tartar is a potassium salt. The potassium reacts with the egg whites as the copper does, although the chemical chain formed is not as strong. Nevertheless, with cream of tartar you can beat egg whites until they are stiff.

There’s no reason for you to go out and buy a copper bowl unless you have poor results with the present procedure. If you are planning to buy one, however, I recommend a 10-inch-diameter bowl. With this size bowl you can beat 3 to 9 egg whites.

A balloon whisk is used for beating egg whites. For bowls ranging in size from 10 to 14 inches, I use a 14- to 16-inch balloon whisk. Many people use large sauce whisks or smaller balloon whisks with their large copper bowls, making their task much more difficult.

Before each use, the bowl should be cleaned with a little vinegar and salt, and then rinsed out with cold water and dried.

SPINACH SOUFFLE

[SOUFFLÉ AUX EPINARDS]

This is a very light version of a spinach soufflé; if you make it with frozen spinach, it is also quick and easy. Just be sure to squeeze the spinach as dry as possible. The measurement for nutmeg here is for 2 or 3 pinches, which is difficult to measure accurately, so if in doubt, skimp; although a little nutmeg enhances the flavor of spinach, too much will overpower it. The soufflé serves two for lunch or four as a first course.

SERVES 2 OR 4

Butter and all-purpose flour, for soufflé mold 5 ounces frozen spinach, the washed, stemmed leaves from

1 pound fresh large spinach, or

8 ounces fresh baby spinach

1 cup milk

3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon water

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 to 3 pinches of freshly grated nutmeg

4 egg whites

⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar

1.
Preheat the oven to 475°F with the rack set in the lowest position. Liberally butter a 4-cup soufflé mold and lightly dust with flour, tapping out any excess.

2.
If using frozen spinach, cook according to package directions, then drain and refresh under cold running water. If using fresh spinach, drop the leaves into boiling water and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Squeeze the spinach to extract as much moisture as possible, and finely chop. Set aside.

3.
In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. While the milk is heating, whisk the egg yolks and water together in a small bowl. Add the 3 tablespoons flour to the yolks and blend until smooth and free of lumps.

4.
Before the milk boils, stir about ¼ cup of it into the egg yolk mixture to thin it. When the remaining milk boils, add it to the egg yolk mixture and stir well.

5.
Return the egg-milk mixture to the saucepan and whisk rapidly over medium-high heat, whisking the bottom and sides of the pan until the mixture thickens and boils, about 30 seconds. (Turning the pan as you whisk helps you easily reach all areas of the pan.) Continue to whisk vigorously for 1 minute while the soufflé base gently boils. It will become shiny and easier to stir.

6.
Reduce the heat to medium and allow the soufflé base to simmer while you season it with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg, then stir in the reserved spinach. Remove the pan from the heat and cover.

7.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.

8.
Pour the warm soufflé base into a large bowl. With a whisk, fold in one-third of the beaten egg whites to lighten it. Some egg white will still be visible. With a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining egg whites. Stop folding as soon as the mixture is blended; a little egg white may still be visible.