You can bake this in a 4-cup mold with a paper collar, into which the soufflé will puff 2 to 3 inches over the rim and hold its puff when the collar is removed. Or bake it in a 6-cup mold, which will give you a more stable soufflé but less puff.
Recipe information
Yield
for a 4-to-6-cup soufflé mold or straight-sided baking dish 8 inches across
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare the soufflé dish. (See below.) Slide rack onto lower-third level, and preheat oven to 400°F.
Step 2
The Sauce Base. Cook the 2 1/2 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons flour together in a 3-quart saucepan until they foam and froth for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and beat in the hot milk, then simmer and stir slowly for a minute or two to thicken. Remove from heat and whisk seasonings into sauce, then, one by one, the egg yolks.
Step 3
Whip the egg whites to stiff, shining peaks (see page 100). Whisk a quarter of them into the sauce to lighten it, then delicately fold in the rest of the whites, alternating with sprinklings of the grated Swiss cheese.
Step 4
Turn the soufflé mixture into the dish and set in the oven. Reduce heat to 375°F and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until soufflé has puffed several inches into the collar, or an inch or two above the rim, and has browned nicely on top. When is it really done? See below.
Step 5
Remove the collar and serve at once.
Step 6
To Serve a Soufflé. So as to deflate it as little as possible, hold a serving spoon and fork upright and back to back. Plunge them into the center of the soufflé and tear it apart.
Variations
Step 7
VEGETABLE SOUFFLÉS. After making the sauce base, fold in 1/4 to 1/3 cup of well-seasoned cooked chopped spinach, asparagus, broccoli, or mushrooms. Complete the soufflé as directed, but fold in only 1/3 cup of the grated Swiss cheese.
Step 8
SHELLFISH SOUFFLÉS. Make a cup or so of creamed lobster, crab or shrimp (see page 66) and spread in the bottom of the buttered soufflé dish.
Step 9
Cover with the soufflé mixture but fold in only 1/3 cup of the grated Swiss cheese. You might serve the fresh tomato fondue (see page 30) along with it.
Step 10
SALMON AND OTHER FISH SOUFFLÉS. The soufflé is a dressy solution for leftover fish. Stir a cup or so of cooked flaked fish into the sauce base, and give extra flavor by adding several tablespoons of minced shallots sautéed in butter and a tablespoon or two of minced fresh dill. Again, cut down the grated Swiss cheese to 1/3 cup. Hollandaise sauce (page 13) would go well here.
Step 11
SOUFFLÉS ON A PLATTER. Rather than in a deep dish, you may bake a soufflé on a platter or in a gratin dish. For 4 people, butter a 12-to-14-inch oval ovenproof platter and arrange on it four 1/2-cup mounds of a deliciously flavored something, like the creamed shellfish on page 66. Heap a quarter of the finished soufflé mixture over each, top with grated Swiss cheese, and bake 15 minutes or so in a preheated 425°F oven, until puffed and brown.
Step 12
SOUFFLÉ ROULADE—THE ROLLED SOUFFLÉ. For an 11-by-17-inch jelly-roll pan, serving 6 to 8 people. Slide rack onto upper-third level of oven, and preheat to 425°F. Butter the pan and line with parchment or wax paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang at each end. Butter the paper and flour it, knocking out excess. Follow the master recipe, but increase proportions to the following: 5 tablespoons butter, 6 tablespoons flour, 1 1/2 cups milk, 6 yolks, 7 whites, and 1 cup of grated Swiss cheese. Spread the soufflé mixture in the pan and bake for 12 minutes or so, until just well set—don’t overcook, or it will crack when rolled. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top and invert the soufflé onto another paper-covered baking sheet. Carefully peel off the paper lining. Spread over the soufflé 1 1/4 cups or so of any warm, well-seasoned filling, such as pipérade (page 32), sautéed mushrooms and diced ham, the creamed shellfish on page 66, or other. Roll up the soufflé and top decoratively, if you wish, with more filling, and/or a sauce such as the tomato fondue on page 30, or hollandaise, page 13.
To Prepare the Soufflé Dish
Step 13
Choose a straight-sided baking dish or a “charlotte” mold. Smear a light coating of soft butter over the insides of the dish, covering bottom and sides. Depending on the soufflé, roll finely grated Parmesan cheese, or bread crumbs, or granulated sugar in the dish to cover inner surface completely, and knock out excess.
Step 14
The Collar. If you are using a collar, cut a length of parchment paper or aluminum foil long enough to wrap around the dish with a 2-inch overlap, fold in half lengthwise, and butter one side. Wrap the collar around the dish, buttered side in; it should rise 3 inches above the rim. Secure in place with 2 straight pins, inserted heads up for quick removal.
When is the Soufflé Done?
Step 15
If it has a collar, rapidly release it just a bit to check—if the puff sags, refasten the collar and bake a few minutes more. When a skewer is plunged down into the side of the puff and comes out with a few particles clinging, the soufflé will be deliciously creamy inside but will not hold up long. If the skewer comes out clean, it will hold up a little longer.
