Aubergines Soufflées

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •10- to 12-inch (25- to 30-cm) heavy skillet
• •2-quart oval or rectangular gratin dish
• •2-quart heavy saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Balloon whisk or electric hand mixer
• •Flexible rubber spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the oven

   Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C), or 350°F (175°C) with a fan, and place a rack in the centre. Butter a 2-quart gratin dish generously with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Choose a dish that holds the four aubergine halves snugly, because close support helps the softened shells keep their shape.

2. 2

   Cisel and fry

   Cut the aubergines lengthwise through their stalks. Cisel the flesh, making close crosshatch cuts without piercing the skins and leaving an uncut border about ⅜ inch (1 cm) wide. Season the cut faces with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Heat half the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat, then fry two halves cut-side down for 6 to 8 minutes, until deeply golden. Turn and cook on the skin side for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the flesh yields beneath a spoon but the shells remain intact. Repeat with the remaining oil and halves. If the flesh colours before it softens, lower the heat and cover the skillet for 2 minutes. Ça se rattrape.

3. 3

   Hollow the shells

   Let the aubergines cool only until you can handle them. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving a layer about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick against each skin so the shells don't collapse. Set the empty shells cut-side up in the buttered dish. Chop the pulp finely, then measure it. You should have about 1¼ cups (300 ml / roughly 300 g); the reduced béchamel must match that quantity before the Parmesan is added.

4. 4

   Reduce the béchamel

   Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir for 2 minutes without allowing it to colour, making a roux blanc, a white roux. Gradually whisk in the warmed milk, holding back the reserved 2 tablespoons. Bring the sauce to a quiet simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, whisking often, until it is thick enough that a spatula drawn across the pan leaves a clear path for a moment. Measure the sauce and reduce it to the same quantity as the chopped pulp, usually about 1¼ cups (300 ml). If it has gone too far, loosen it with the reserved milk. If it lumps, take it off the heat and whisk firmly; stubborn lumps can be pressed through a fine sieve. Ça se rattrape.

5. 5

   Build the base

   Remove the béchamel from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, the remaining salt, and white pepper to taste. Fold an equal quantity of the chopped aubergine pulp into the sauce. Spread the mixture in a wide bowl and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes, until barely warm. It will become quite thick as it stands. This is exactly right; a hot or loose base melts the egg-white foam before the oven can set it.

6. 6

   Whip and fold

   Beat the egg whites in a spotless, dry bowl until they form firm, glossy peaks that stand upright without looking dry. Stir one-third of the whites into the aubergine base to loosen it, then fold in the remainder in two additions with broad strokes from the bottom of the bowl. Stop while a few fine white streaks remain. If the first addition loses some volume, don't panic; the remaining whites can still lighten the base, provided you fold them briefly and gently. Divide the mixture among the shells, mounding it slightly above their rims without pressing it down.

7. 7

   Bake and serve

   Bake immediately for 18 to 22 minutes without opening the oven during the first 15 minutes. This is the light treatment described among Gratins (No. 268): the moderate oven sets the soufflé and colours its surface in one passage. The aubergines are ready when the fillings have risen, the tops are pale gold with bronzed edges, and the centres tremble slightly when the dish is moved. Carry them straight to the table, because a soufflé waits for nobody. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose firm, glossy aubergines of similar size, with green stalks and no soft patches. Very large specimens tend to be seedy and watery, which gives the soufflé base more moisture than it needs.
• •Measure after frying and chopping. The source's equal quantity of pulp and reduced béchamel is structural, not decorative; too much pulp makes the filling heavy, while too much sauce dulls the aubergine.
• •Grate the Parmesan finely from a firm piece. Coarse shreds melt unevenly and weigh down the foam, while finely grated cheese disappears into the base and seasons every spoonful.
• •Have your guests seated before the dish enters the oven. A little settling at the table is the nature of a soufflé, not a failure, but its proudest rise belongs to the first few minutes.

Advance Preparation

• •The aubergines may be fried, hollowed, and arranged in their buttered dish up to 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate the shells separately from the filling base.
• •The aubergine and béchamel base may also be prepared up to 4 hours ahead. Bring it out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before finishing so it is cool but no longer stiff with cold.
• •Beat and fold the egg whites only when the oven is hot and the table is nearly ready. Once the shells are filled, they must be baked and served without delay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 275g)