Lemon Souffléd Pudding

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Four straight-sided 8-ounce (240 ml) ramekins
• •2-quart (2-liter) heavy saucepan
• •Deep roasting pan for the bain-marie
• •Fine-mesh sieve and flexible spatula
• •Vegetable peeler
• •Instant-read thermometer, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Infuse the rind

   Remove three broad strips of yellow rind with a vegetable peeler. Turn each strip over and pare away any white pith; hot milk extracts its bitterness efficiently, so be exact here. Put one strip into the quantity of milk called for by Saxon Pudding (No. 2504), bring that milk to the boil as its formula directs, then cover it off the heat for 10 minutes. Remove the rind and reserve the milk for the pudding base. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the measured custard milk while it is still cold, then warm the remainder with the other two strips until the edge of the pan barely quivers. Cover, infuse for 10 minutes, and strain. The lemon juice does not enter this dish.

2. 2

   Make the crème anglaise

   Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until smooth. Rewarm the infused custard milk, then pour it onto the yolks a little at a time while whisking. Return everything to low heat and stir continuously with a flexible spatula, reaching into the corners, until the crème anglaise coats the back of a spoon and a finger drawn through it leaves a clean path, about 180°F (82°C). Never let it boil. If tiny grains appear at the edge, lift the pan from the heat, whisk in the reserved cold milk, and strain immediately into a cool bowl. Ça se rattrape. Cover the surface and refrigerate, or leave it to cool while the pudding cooks.

3. 3

   Cook the pudding base

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C), with a rack in the lower middle. Butter four straight-sided 8-ounce (240 ml) ramekins thoroughly, including the rims. Prepare Saxon Pudding (No. 2504) as directed, using the lemon-infused boiled milk and stopping after its yolks have been incorporated, just before the whites are folded. The source's fierce fire becomes medium-high heat in a heavy saucepan, not the largest burner at its most violent. Stir without interruption and dry the panade until it gathers smoothly and leaves a fine film on the pan. If the milk produces a few lumps, lift the pan from the heat and whisk firmly until smooth, then return it to the stove and finish drying.

4. 4

   Fold in the whites

   Finish Saxon Pudding (No. 2504) by beating its whites to stiff but still glossy peaks. Stir one-third into the warm base with a few firm strokes to loosen it, then add the remainder in two portions, folding from the bottom of the bowl and turning the bowl as you work. Stop when no large pockets of white remain. A few fine streaks are safer than another dozen strokes; the air in these whites is what lifts the pudding.

5. 5

   Poach in bain-marie

   Divide the mixture among the buttered ramekins, filling each about three-quarters full, and set them in a deep roasting pan. Pour just-boiled water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the ramekins. Poach in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes without opening the door during the first 20 minutes. The puddings are ready when they have risen, the tops are pale butter-gold, and the centers tremble gently rather than slosh; a skewer inserted near the center should carry moist crumbs, not liquid batter. If the water begins boiling hard, pour a little cool water into the bath away from the ramekins and lower the oven to 300°F (150°C). A bain-marie should murmur, never rage.

6. 6

   Unmold and serve

   Lift the ramekins from the water and let them stand for 2 minutes. Run a thin knife around each rim and invert onto warmed dessert plates. If one clings, return only the base of its ramekin to the hot water for 10 seconds, then try again. Stir the lemon crème anglaise until smooth and bring it to the table separately in a small sauceboat, exactly as the dish intends, so each guest can pour it around the warm pudding. Serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a fragrant unwaxed lemon and peel it in broad strips. Grating is not the same treatment: the source asks the rind to scent the hot milk and then leave, giving perfume without flecks, pith, or extra liquid.
• •Butter the ramekins generously but do not sugar them. The source calls for well-buttered molds, and that clean layer of butter is what lets the tender puddings release without tearing.
• •A thermometer is useful for the crème anglaise, but the spoon tells the truth. When the custard coats it and a finger leaves a path that does not run closed, stop cooking. Carry it farther and the yolks begin to grain.
• •A demi-sec Vouvray suits the lemon and custard without flattening them. Pour modestly; the pudding should remain the sweetest thing at the table.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the lemon crème anglaise up to 2 days ahead. Cover its surface directly and refrigerate, then stir it smooth before serving.
• •Infuse and strain the milk for the pudding base up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate it promptly and return it to the boil only when Saxon Pudding (No. 2504) calls for the boiled milk.
• •Butter the ramekins earlier in the day and keep them covered in the refrigerator. The finished batter is not a make-ahead item: fold in the whites, fill the molds, and poach close to serving so the trapped air still has work to do.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 190g)