RECIPE: Green Garlic Souffle
At Cookery School we bust the myth that soufflés are tricky. The secret is to make a good, smooth béchamel – a simple béchamel sauce made with flour, milk, butter or oil is the basis for any soufflé.
During spring time both wild garlic (leaves) and green garlic (a young garlic bulb) are in abundance and make a beautiful and delicate flavoured spring soufflé.
The other essential technique required when making soufflés is to keep the air in the soufflé – this is very important and is the job of the eggs. First you want to beat the eggs in well one at a time. So that they do not scramble, do not let the yolks lie on the béchamel but beat them well.
When you fold the egg whites into your béchamel base fold them up and over into the mixture using a metal spoon. When the whites are just mixed in, stop mixing. Over mixing will mix out all the lovely air in the whites.
Once the mix is poured into the soufflé dishes, it will keep in the fridge until ready for use. Bake as instructed and eat immediately with a wonderful green salad and glass of chilled wine for a real treat.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons rapeseed oil (2 ozs/50g)
¾ cup green garlic sliced finely
4 tablespoons flour (1½oz/40g flour)
¼ cup (approx 1ozs/25g) grated cheese – Parmesan, Emmentaler or Gruyere
4 egg yolks
5 egg whites
freshly ground salt and black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons rapeseed oil
1 cup milk (8ozs/225ml) large handful finely chopped green garlic leaves
Method
1. Saute the green garlic in the 3 tablespoons of rapeseed oil until tender. Blend till smooth.
2. Add the finely chopped green garlic leaves and set aside.
3. Make a béchamel sauce with oil, flour and milk. Do this by mixing the the oil and flour together until well mixed and then gradually beat in the milk while cold. Place the saucepan on the hob and cook, stirring all the time until the sauce is thick and smooth.
3. Remove from the heat and add grated cheese.
4. Add the egg yolks carefully, one at time, to the mixture. Beat well all the time to ensure that the eggs do not curdle.
5. Mix in the garlic puree with green garlic leaves.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Stiffly beat the egg whites and then fold in first one quarter to the egg yolk mixture to ‘slacken’ it and then add the other three quarters. Do not over mix.
7. Pour into 4 tall 6 – 8cm souffle dishes. It is not necessary to butter and coat with crumbs but this can be done if desired.
8. Bake the soufflés in a dish of boiling water (if a softer soufflé is desired) and set on a shelf in the middle of the oven. Use oven 400ºF/200ºC for 5 minutes and then turn down to 375ºF/190ºC for approximately 20 – 25 minutes or until well set, cooked and well browned.
9. Eat immediately.
