How to Make… A Perfect Souffle

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Published 2009

To get the best rise out of a soufflé, you’ll need a straight-sided ceramic soufflé dish. If the mixture comes more than two-thirds the way up the dish, you will need to make a collar.
It is important that the egg whites are not too soft or the soufflé will not rise; and not too stiff or they will not mix into the base well and the cooked soufflé will contain blobs of white egg.
When beating egg whites, make sure your bowl is stainless steel or glass, and that it is very clean and dry — any hint of grease will prevent the egg white from foaming.
The egg white must be at room temperature before beating, then beat with a balloon whisk or electric beaters. Beat slowly until the whites start to become a frothy foam, then increase the speed a little. When the foam forms soft peaks, add the sugar gradually. Continue beating until the mixture is glossy — don’t overbeat or it will become grainy and not rise well.
Some fruit may have a higher sugar content and cause the top of the soufflé to brown too quickly. If so, rest a piece of foil on top of the soufflé.
When the soufflé is ready, it should have a pale gold crust and not wobble too much. It should be served immediately, as soufflés wait for no one.

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