Soufflé à la Vanille

The risen soufflé à la vanille: the French pastry chef's ultimate test piece: airy, fragrant, fleeting

Origin: France

From the journey of Vanilla.

The soufflé is the supreme expression of the 18th-century French pâtissier's technical ambition; a dish that must be eaten the moment it leaves the oven, that cannot be plated in advance, that requires a diner willing to wait. Vincent La Chapelle documented the first soufflé in Le Cuisinier Moderne (1733), and from that point the vanilla soufflé became the benchmark against which the skill of French pastry kitchens was measured. A soufflé is a custard sauce (pastry cream or crème anglaise base) folded with stiffly beaten egg whites and baked in a dish hot enough to expand the trapped air into a crown. The vanilla must be in the base; it blooms with the heat and fills the dining room before the soufflé even arrives at the table. The mystique that surrounds the soufflé, whispered warnings about slamming doors, the theatrical race from oven to table, is more instructive than alarming: what it tells you is that a soufflé must be served the instant it is ready, which means the kitchen and the dining room must be choreographed together. That urgency is the point.

Ingredients

pastry cream base

250 ml whole milk
3 egg yolks
60 g caster (superfine) sugar, plus extra for the ramekins
30 g plain (all-purpose) flour
20 g unsalted butter, plus extra (softened) for the ramekins

vanilla

1 vanilla pod, split and scraped

meringue

5 egg whites
1 pinch cream of tartar or a few drops of lemon juice
30 g caster sugar, for the meringue

seasoning

1 pinch fine sea salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F, fan 170°C) with a baking sheet inside on the middle shelf. Butter 4 ramekins (180ml capacity) generously; use upward strokes with a pastry brush. Coat with caster sugar, tapping out the excess.
Make the pastry cream base: heat the milk with the vanilla pod and seeds until steaming. In a bowl, whisk yolks, sugar, and flour until smooth. Pour the warm milk over in a steady stream while whisking. Return to the pan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until very thick and the mixture pulls away from the sides. Remove from heat, whisk in the butter, and press cling film directly onto the surface. Cool to room temperature.
Remove the vanilla pod from the base (or leave in if it hasn't been already). Transfer the base to a large bowl. Whisk vigorously to loosen it; it should be smooth and slightly runny.
Whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar and salt to soft peaks. Add the 30g caster sugar in a thin stream while whisking and continue to stiff, glossy peaks; the whites should hold their shape but not be dry.
Add one-third of the whites to the pastry cream base and stir vigorously to lighten the mixture. Gently fold in the remaining whites in two additions using a large rubber spatula; keep as much air as possible.
Fill the ramekins to just below the rim. Run your thumb around the inside edge of each ramekin to create a small channel between the batter and the wall: this encourages the soufflé to rise straight up.
Place on the preheated baking sheet (the hot base prevents the bottom from undercooking). Bake for 10-12 minutes until risen about 2-3cm above the rim, golden on top, with a slight wobble in the centre. Serve within 60 seconds of leaving the oven.

Notes

The pastry cream base can be made a day ahead. The egg whites should be beaten and folded at the last possible moment; within 15 minutes of baking. A soufflé cannot be held: it must be eaten immediately. Serve with a jug of warm crème anglaise on the side for guests to pour into the centre themselves: the cold sauce hitting the warm, airy custard interior is the complete experience.

The Gastrographer

Name: Soufflé à la Vanille
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 250 ml whole milk; 1 vanilla pod, split and scraped; 3 egg yolks; 60 g caster (superfine) sugar, plus extra for the ramekins; 30 g plain (all-purpose) flour; 20 g unsalted butter, plus extra (softened) for the ramekins; 5 egg whites; 1 pinch cream of tartar or a few drops of lemon juice; 30 g caster sugar, for the meringue; 1 pinch fine sea salt

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control