Soufflés de Volaille

Soufflés de Volaille (chicken soufflés) teach the cleanest law of the soufflé family: lift comes from whisked whites, but structure comes from a properly cooked base and a complete bake. Here is the one true thing to know before touching the pan. A soufflé made with cooked chicken moves slowly in the oven, so give it steady heat and err a little long rather than pulling it at the first dramatic rise.

The brigade surrounding this dish once had a saucier on staff, stock never off the fire, a salamander ready for anything needing last colour, and enough hands to pound raw chicken through a mortar and tamis for a banquet. For four people, cooked chicken is the sound road the old formula itself allows. A food processor replaces the mortar, a saucepan builds the roux, and an ordinary oven supplies all the colour required. Stock and salamander can go because they are brigade scaffolding here; the roux, carefully folded whites, and unhurried bake are the dish. One cook, one stove, one evening.

When it is right, the crown stands butter-gold above the dish, the edges are bronzed, and the centre is pale, savoury, and tender rather than wet. Fold only until the broad white streaks disappear, then leave the mixture alone. The bake decides everything after that.