Indian Souffléd Pudding

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Four straight-sided 240 ml ramekins
• •Deep roasting tin for the bain-marie
• •Heavy-bottomed medium saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Flexible heatproof spatula
• •Electric mixer or balloon whisk
• •Digital kitchen scale

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the bain-marie

   Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) with a rack in the lower-middle position. Brush four straight-sided 240 ml ramekins generously with the softened butter, working upward along the sides so the batter has a clean path as it rises. Set the ramekins in a deep roasting tin and bring a kettle of water to the boil, but do not fill the tin yet.

2. 2

   Infuse the custard milk

   For the crème anglaise au gingembre, the ginger custard, combine the milk and its teaspoon of ground ginger in a heavy saucepan. Bring it just below a simmer, then cover, remove from the heat, and infuse for 10 minutes. Pass the milk through a fine sieve, pressing lightly on the ginger sediment, and return it to the clean saucepan.

3. 3

   Thicken the custard

   Whisk the yolks, sugar, and salt until smooth, without beating in a head of foam. Pour in one-third of the warm ginger milk while whisking, then add the rest. Return everything to low heat and stir constantly with a flexible spatula, sweeping the floor and corners, until the custard reaches 80 to 82°C (176 to 180°F) and coats the back of a spoon; a finger drawn through it should leave a clean path. Do not let it boil. If a few grains appear at the edge, ça se rattrape: immediately strain the custard into a chilled bowl and blend briefly until smooth. If it tightens too far, loosen it with a spoonful of milk. Hold the finished custard over barely warm water, stirring occasionally.

   A full boil turns the yolks into curds. Gentle heat and constant movement are the whole protection.
4. 4

   Season the pudding base

   Make the half batch of Saxon Pudding (No. 2504) exactly as its own entry directs, stopping after the yolks have enriched the cooked preparation and keeping its egg whites separate. If the half batch leaves fractional eggs, weigh the beaten yolks and whites rather than rounding them. Sift the 28 g of ground ginger over the warm base in three additions, mixing each one in completely so no harsh pockets remain. Let the mixture cool until warm rather than hot before folding in the whites.

5. 5

   Fold in the gingers

   Beat the reserved whites from the Saxon Pudding (No. 2504) until they hold firm, glossy peaks but have not turned dry or clumpy. Stir one-third into the ginger base to loosen it, then fold in the remaining whites in two additions, cutting down through the center and lifting the heavier base over the top. Scatter in the candied ginger dice last and give the batter only two or three broad folds. If it begins to slacken, stop. Ça se rattrape: portion it immediately and accept a gentler dome; the panade will still give you a tender pudding, while further folding can only drive out more air.

   Blot syrupy candied ginger dry before dicing it. Wet, sticky clumps sink together and demand too much folding to distribute.
6. 6

   Poach the puddings

   Divide the batter among the buttered ramekins, filling each about three-quarters full, and smooth the tops with one light pass of the spatula. Put the roasting tin on the pulled-out oven rack, then carefully pour in boiling water until it reaches halfway up the ramekins. Bake for 28 to 34 minutes without opening the oven during the first 22 minutes. The puddings are ready when they are well risen and butter-gold, the edges feel set, and a slender skewer emerges with moist crumbs rather than wet batter. Lift out the ramekins individually and leave the water bath in place until it is safe to move.

7. 7

   Unmold and serve

   Rest the puddings for 2 minutes, then run a thin knife around each edge and invert onto warm shallow bowls. If one clings, wrap the base of its ramekin in a hot damp cloth for 10 seconds and try again; never wrench it apart. Pour the warm ginger custard around each pudding rather than drowning its domed top, and serve at once while the interior is still open and tender. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The ground ginger quantity looks startling because the source intends a fiercely gingered pudding. This half batch preserves its ratio exactly: 28 g ground ginger and 71 g candied ginger. Reducing either one doesn't modernize the dish; it changes its character.
• •Cut the candied ginger into true 5 mm dice. Large pieces fall through the batter, while tiny minced fragments disappear and lose the bite the formula specifically asks for.
• •When halving Saxon Pudding (No. 2504), weigh any fractional portion of beaten egg. A digital scale preserves the base's structure without rounding the recipe up to a larger batch.
• •The custard may be warm or cool, but it must remain fluid enough to pool around the pudding. If chilled custard sets thick, stir in a spoonful of milk before serving.

Advance Preparation

• •The ginger custard can be made one day ahead. Cool it promptly, cover its surface directly, and refrigerate; serve it cool or rewarm it gently over barely hot water.
• •The candied ginger can be diced and the ramekins buttered up to four hours ahead. Keep the ginger covered and the molds in a cool place.
• •Do not hold the completed pudding batter. Once the whites and candied ginger have been folded in, fill the molds and begin poaching within five minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 255g)