Soufflé de Jambon Milanaise

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Deep 2-quart (1.9-litre) porcelain timbale or soufflé dish
• •Heavy 2-quart (1.9-litre) saucepan
• •10-inch (25 cm) skillet
• •Electric hand mixer or balloon whisk
• •Broad flexible spatula
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Oven thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the timbale

   Set a rack in the lower-middle of the oven and heat it to 350°F (180°C), conventional rather than fan-assisted. Brush a deep 2-quart (1.9-litre) porcelain timbale or soufflé dish generously with the softened butter, carrying every stroke upward along the sides. Chill the buttered dish while you prepare the components. Have the table ready now; a soufflé waits for nobody.

   Check the oven with a separate thermometer if yours runs hot. This dish needs moderate heat from beginning to end, not a fierce first blast.
2. 2

   Fry the macaroni

   Boil the macaroni in well-salted water until fully tender, about one minute beyond the firmness you would choose for a pasta dish. Drain it thoroughly and blot away surface water; wet macaroni spits in butter and refuses to brown. If the pieces are long, cut them into short lengths. Melt the frying butter in a skillet over medium heat, add the macaroni, and turn it until several edges are crisp and golden. Lift it onto a plate and reserve it for the crown.

3. 3

   Build the roux

   Melt the butter for the base in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir for two minutes without letting it colour; this roux must lose its raw taste while staying pale. Whisk in the milk gradually, then the cream, scraping into every corner. Cook, whisking, until the mixture becomes very thick, smooth, and glossy, and a spoon drawn across the pan leaves a clear path for a moment. If lumps appear, take the pan off the heat and whisk hard; if they persist, ça se rattrape, press the sauce through a sieve before adding the ham.

4. 4

   Finish the ham base

   Stir the finely chopped ham, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg into the roux. Cook gently for two minutes, stirring, then take the pan off the heat and let it cool for five minutes. It should feel warm, not fiercely hot. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, making each disappear before adding the next. Taste before adding more salt, because the ham, cheese, and Milanaise garnish all bring their own.

5. 5

   Warm the garnish

   Warm the fine garnish à la Milanaise prepared from Côte de Veau Milanaise (No. 1258) over the gentlest heat until it is supple and coherent, then take it off the heat. It must be warm enough to spread but never hot enough to cook the egg foam on contact. If the garnish sheds a little liquid, keep stirring it gently until the butter and cheese bind it again. Ça se rattrape.

6. 6

   Fold the whites

   Whisk the egg whites in a spotless bowl until they form firm, glossy peaks whose tips bend slightly. Dry, clotted whites have gone too far, so stop while they still shine. Stir one-quarter of the whites firmly into the ham base to loosen it, then fold in the remainder in two additions with a broad spatula, cutting down through the centre and lifting from the bottom. Turn the bowl as you work. Stop as soon as no white streaks remain; every unnecessary stroke spends the air you need in the oven.

7. 7

   Layer the soufflé

   Spoon one-third of the soufflé mixture into the buttered timbale. Spread half the warm Milanaise garnish over it, stopping about 3/4 inch (2 cm) short of the dish wall so an unbroken collar of soufflé can rise around the heavier centre. Add another third of the soufflé, the remaining garnish, and the final soufflé mixture. Level the top lightly without pressing it down. Alternate layers are essential here; stirring the garnish through would weigh down every part of the foam at once.

8. 8

   Crown and bake

   Scatter the butter-fried macaroni over the surface and sprinkle with the grated Gruyère and Parmesan. Bake immediately for 30 to 35 minutes without opening the door during the first 25 minutes. The soufflé is ready when it has risen well above the rim, the crown is deep butter-gold, and the centre trembles gently without looking liquid. If the cheese colours too quickly after the rise has set, lay a loose sheet of foil over the top and finish the bake. Bring it straight to the table. If the crown dips on the journey, spoon it proudly from the firm edges; the structure may settle, but the dish remains splendid. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a mild, unsmoked cooked ham in the style of jambon de Paris. Smoke, sugar, or a heavy cure overwhelms the truffle, Madeira, and tomato already present in the garnish.
• •The fine garnish à la Milanaise from Côte de Veau Milanaise (No. 1258) is a completed component, not loose macaroni stirred into the soufflé. Prepare it by its own entry and keep it whole; its coherence lets you form distinct layers without flooding the egg foam.
• •Use a deep, straight-sided dish rather than a broad gratin dish. Height protects the tender centre and gives the soufflé a wall to climb.
• •Serve with a sharply dressed bitter-leaf salad and a dry white Burgundy or brut Champagne. The acidity cuts through the ham, cheese, butter, and cream without competing with the truffle.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the fine garnish à la Milanaise from Côte de Veau Milanaise (No. 1258) according to its own entry up to one day ahead. Chill it covered, then warm it gently until supple before layering.
• •The macaroni for the crown can be boiled and fried up to four hours ahead. Keep it uncovered at room temperature so it stays dry.
• •The ham base can be prepared through the addition of the yolks up to two hours ahead and kept covered in the cold. Let it return to a soft, cool room temperature before folding in the whites.
• •Whisking, folding, layering, and baking must wait until shortly before service. Once the whites enter the base, the soufflé goes directly into its dish and oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 270g)