Soufflé de Jambon Alexandra

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1½-quart (1.4 L) straight-sided timbale or soufflé dish
• •Medium heavy-bottomed saucepan
• •Large spotless mixing bowl
• •Balloon whisk or electric hand mixer
• •Flexible rubber spatula
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Pastry brush
• •Instant-read thermometer, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the timbale

   Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat it to 375°F (190°C). Butter a 1½-quart (1.4 L) straight-sided timbale or soufflé dish generously, brushing from bottom to rim in upward strokes. Keep the rim perfectly clean, because butter smeared across it can catch the rising mixture. Chill the prepared dish while you make the filling.

   Use a straight-sided dish rather than a sloping casserole. The walls guide the soufflé upward and leave enough height for its dome.
2. 2

   Butter the asparagus

   Bring the water and blanching salt to a full boil. Add the asparagus tips and cook until vivid green and just tender when pierced, 2 to 3 minutes depending on thickness. Drain, rinse briefly under cold water, and dry them with great care; trapped water will loosen the soufflé around the middle layer. Melt the asparagus butter in a small skillet, roll the tips through it with a pinch of the measured salt, then spread them on a plate to cool until barely warm.

3. 3

   Cook the panade

   Melt the butter for the base in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook the roux, the butter-and-flour foundation, for 90 seconds without letting it colour. Pour in the warm milk and cream gradually, whisking after each addition, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the panade is smooth, very thick, and leaves a broad trail across the pan floor. If it lumps, take it off the heat and whisk hard; ça se rattrape. Pass it through a fine sieve before proceeding if any lumps remain. If it still pours like sauce, keep cooking. It must be stout enough to carry the ham.

4. 4

   Enrich with ham

   Take the pan from the heat and let the panade cool for 5 minutes, until warm rather than scalding. Stir in the minced ham, white pepper, nutmeg, cayenne, and half the remaining salt. Taste before adding more, because ham brings salt of its own. Beat in the yolks one at a time until the base is glossy and cohesive. Transfer it to a broad mixing bowl and let it cool until no longer hot to the touch; a hot base cooks the whites on contact and steals their lift.

5. 5

   Whip and fold

   Beat the egg whites in a spotless bowl until they hold a bec d'oiseau, a glossy peak whose tip bends like a bird's beak. Stop there. Dry, cottony whites break into lumps instead of folding; if yours go too far, add the reserved fresh white and whisk only until the mixture becomes glossy again. Stir one quarter of the whites firmly into the ham base to lighten it. Fold in the rest in two additions with a flexible spatula, cutting down through the centre, sweeping across the bottom, and turning the mixture over itself. A few pale streaks are better than a perfectly uniform mixture beaten flat.

6. 6

   Layer and dome

   Spoon slightly less than half the soufflé into the chilled timbale. Arrange the buttered asparagus tips in one level layer, leaving a ½-inch (1 cm) border so the mixture can join around them. Cover with the remaining soufflé, filling the dish no more than three quarters full. If there is extra, bake it separately in a buttered ramekin rather than overloading the timbale. Smooth the surface into a gentle dome without pressing out the air, then lay the fine truffle slice at its crown.

7. 7

   Bake without delay

   Put the timbale into the oven immediately and bake without opening the door for 25 minutes. Continue until the soufflé has risen well above the rim, the dome is deep butter-gold, and the centre gives a gentle tremble rather than a liquid slosh, usually 30 to 35 minutes in total. An instant-read thermometer inserted just off-centre should register at least 160°F (71°C). If the top colours too quickly after the first 25 minutes, lower the oven to 350°F (175°C) and lay foil loosely over the dome. By then the structure can bear the interruption.

8. 8

   Serve at once

   Carry the timbale straight to the table. Use two large spoons to open the dome and serve downward through the centre so every portion receives ham soufflé, the buttered asparagus layer, and some tender golden crown. Do not leave it waiting while the table is rearranged. The soufflé keeps no one. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose jambon de Paris or another mild, unsmoked cooked ham with a close texture. Smoky bacon-style ham overwhelms the asparagus and truffle, while water-added sliced ham makes the base loose.
• •Fresh, tightly closed asparagus tips give the cleanest layer. If the market offers only woody spears, good frozen tips are the honest preserved choice; thaw them completely, blot them very dry, and expect a softer bite.
• •The truffle slice is small but deliberate. A good preserved black truffle is preferable to a tired fresh one, and truffle oil is not its equivalent; the source asks for the texture and dark perfume of an actual slice.
• •Serve with a full-bodied dry white wine, such as white Burgundy, and keep the rest of the plate quiet. A sharply dressed green salad after the soufflé is enough.

Advance Preparation

• •The ham panade can be prepared through the addition of the yolks up to 8 hours ahead. Press buttered parchment directly against its surface, chill it promptly, and let it stand out for about 20 minutes before folding in the whites.
• •The asparagus may be blanched up to 4 hours ahead. Dry and chill the tips uncovered at first, then cover them once cold; roll them in butter shortly before layering.
• •Once the whites are folded in, the soufflé cannot wait. Have the oven fully heated, the dish buttered, the asparagus ready, and the guests near the table before you begin that step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 225g)