Soufflés au Jambon

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5-liter (1.6-quart) straight-sided ceramic soufflé dish
• •2-quart heavy saucepan
• •Large balloon whisk
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Food processor for the raw-ham route
• •Flexible rubber spatula
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve, optional for rescuing a lumpy cooked-ham base

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready oven and dish

   Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat it to 400°F (200°C conventional / 180°C fan) for at least 30 minutes. Butter the bottom and sides of a 1.5-liter straight-sided soufflé dish, brushing upward along the walls, then coat it evenly with the breadcrumbs and tap out the excess. Keep the prepared dish at room temperature. The oven and dish must be ready before the whites are whipped; a finished soufflé mixture left waiting loses the air you just worked to give it.

   An oven thermometer earns its place here. A weak or half-heated oven lets the mixture set before it rises, while excessive heat bronzes the top before the center is cooked.
2. 2

   Build cooked-ham base

   For the cooked-ham route, melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir for 90 seconds without allowing it to color; this roux blanc must cook long enough to lose its raw flour taste. Add the milk in three additions, whisking each smooth before pouring the next. Bring it to a full simmer and beat for 2 minutes, until the base is glossy, very thick, and falls from the whisk in heavy folds. If it remains loose, simmer another minute; a thin base cannot support the ham. Remove from the heat, cool for 3 minutes, then beat in the yolks one at a time. Fold in the minced cooked ham and white pepper, taste, and add only as much salt as the ham needs. Let the base stand until warm rather than hot. If the sauce has small lumps, press it through a fine sieve before adding the ham. Ça se rattrape.

   Use a mild, moist cooked ham. Smoke, sugar glaze, and aggressive curing dominate a preparation this delicate; jambon de Paris or a good unsmoked deli ham is the right register.
3. 3

   Build raw-ham mousseline

   For the raw-ham route, chill the processor bowl and blade for 15 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cream, then process the diced fresh ham with the salt and white pepper until the meat becomes fine and tacky. Add 1 egg white and process until absorbed. With the machine running, pour in the remaining cream gradually, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed, until the mousseline is smooth, glossy, and still colder than 50°F (10°C). Add the 3 yolks and pulse only until combined. If the mixture warms or looks greasy, stop, set the processor bowl over ice for 10 minutes, then pulse in the reserved cold cream. Ça se rattrape. Cook a teaspoonful completely in a small skillet, taste it, and correct the seasoning without ever tasting the raw mixture. Transfer the mousseline to a large bowl and wash every surface that touched the uncooked pork.

   Raw ham means fresh, uncured pork leg. Dry-cured jambon cru or prosciutto is already concentrated with salt and cannot form this mousseline.
4. 4

   Whip the whites

   For the cooked-ham route, use all 5 whites. For the raw-ham route, use the 4 whites remaining after the mousseline is made. Reserve 1 tablespoon of these whites, then beat the rest in a spotless bowl at medium speed until glossy medium-firm peaks form and the tip bends slightly when the whisk is lifted. Stop there. Whites beaten until dry and clumpy refuse to fold; if they have just begun to turn grainy, whisk in the reserved unbeaten white by hand until they become supple again.

   Separate eggs while cold, then let the whites lose their refrigerator chill before whipping. They expand more readily, while the raw-ham mousseline itself must remain cold.
5. 5

   Fold and fill

   Stir one quarter of the whipped whites firmly into the chosen ham base to loosen it. Add the remaining whites in two additions, cutting the spatula down through the center, sweeping across the bottom, and lifting the heavier mixture over the top. Turn the bowl as you work and stop as soon as no large pockets of white remain; a few pale streaks do less harm than overmixing. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish, filling it no more than three quarters full. Smooth the top lightly, then run a clean thumb around the inside rim to make a narrow channel. Do not bang or shake the dish. Put it into the oven at once.

6. 6

   Bake to full rise

   Place the soufflé directly on the oven rack and immediately reduce the setting to 375°F (190°C conventional / 170°C fan). Do not open the door for the first 25 minutes. Bake the cooked-ham version for 30 to 35 minutes and the raw-ham version for 38 to 44 minutes. It is ready when the crown stands well above the rim, the top is deeply butter-gold, and the center reaches 160°F (71°C) on a quick thermometer check through a natural crack. The center may tremble, but it must not be liquid. If the soufflé slumps after testing and the center is still under temperature, return it immediately and bake in 3-minute intervals; it can recover part of its rise. If the top colors too quickly late in baking, shield it loosely with foil and finish cooking the center.

7. 7

   Serve without delay

   Carry the soufflé straight to the table in its baking dish. Break through the crown with a broad serving spoon and reach down to the bottom so every portion receives bronzed crust, soft center, and plenty of ham. A soufflé begins settling as soon as it leaves the oven, which is its nature, not a failure. The guests wait for it, never the reverse. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The cooked-ham version is the lighter and more delicate of the two. The raw-ham mousseline sets more firmly, tolerates portioning better, and follows the source's preferred method when several plates must leave the table together.
• •Keep the two temperature needs separate. Egg whites whip best after losing their refrigerator chill, while the raw pork, processor bowl, and cream must remain thoroughly cold so the mousseline stays bound and smooth.
• •Every soufflé settles. A gradual lowering after it reaches the table is normal; a sudden collapse in the oven usually means the center was underbaked or the door was opened before the structure had set.
• •Serve with a sharply dressed frisée salad and either a dry Chenin Blanc or a light, bright Beaujolais. The acidity answers the butter, eggs, and ham without crowding them.
• •Leftovers will not rise again, but they are still good. Refrigerate them within 2 hours, keep for up to 2 days, and reheat gently until hot through; call it baked ham custard and never apologize at your own table.

Advance Preparation

• •The cooked-ham roux base can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead, covered directly on its surface, and refrigerated. Let it stand for about 20 minutes before folding so it is cool but not stiff.
• •The raw-ham mousseline can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead and held covered below 40°F (4°C). Keep it cold until the whites are ready.
• •The dish can be buttered and crumbed earlier in the day. Whip and fold the whites only when the oven is hot and the table is ready; the assembled soufflé cannot wait.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 160g)