Soufflé de Pommes de Terre

Soufflé de Pommes de Terre (potato soufflé) teaches the rule behind every hot soufflé: its lift comes from air already beaten into the whites, and every turn of the spatula must preserve it. Fold, never stir. That is the one true thing to know before touching a pan.

The original entry assumes a pint of mashed potatoes enriched with cream, three raw yolks, their whites beaten to a stiff froth, and either a dedicated soufflé saucepan or small porcelain cases waiting beside a hot oven. It needs no saucier, no stockpot forever on the fire, and no salamander. Its brigade scaffolding is simply specialized vessels and someone ready to carry the dish out at once. At home, a 1½-quart straight-sided ceramic dish, a hand mixer, and an ordinary oven do the same work. The source quantity is already right for four side portions, so the pint-to-three-egg ratio remains exactly as written.

When it is right, the Soufflé de Pommes de Terre rises above its dish with a bronzed, delicately cracked crown and a pale centre that holds its shape while remaining soft enough for the serving spoon. Potato gives the base more weight than many soufflés, which makes the folding especially important. The fold decides the dish.