Almond Soufflé

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.2-liter straight-sided porcelain soufflé dish, about 18 cm wide
• •Medium heavy-bottomed saucepan
• •Balloon whisk or electric hand mixer
• •Broad flexible spatula
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Rimmed baking sheet

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the timbale

   Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C), conventional setting, with a rimmed baking sheet on the lower-middle rack. Brush the softened butter over the bottom and sides of a 1.2-liter straight-sided soufflé dish, the timbale, using upward strokes and carrying the butter fully to the rim. Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 25 g) of the sugar, turn the dish until the bottom and sides are evenly coated, then tip out the excess and chill the dish. This coating is not decoration: the sugar gives the rising batter something to grip.

   Choose a straight-sided dish. Sloping walls send the batter outward, while a proper timbale directs its rise upward.
2. 2

   Grill the almonds

   Spread the blanched almonds on a small metal tray and place them beneath a hot broiler for 1 to 3 minutes, shaking the tray once, until they show scattered pale-gold patches and smell distinctly nutty. This is the home equivalent of the salamander. Pull them before they turn brown, because their heat will carry the coloring further. Cool completely, then chop them into small, distinct pieces rather than a powder.

3. 3

   Cook the cream base

   Reserve 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g) of the almond milk and warm the remainder in a saucepan until small bubbles gather around the edge. In a bowl, whisk the yolks with 70 g of the remaining sugar, the flour, and the salt until smooth. Pour in the warm almond milk gradually while whisking, return everything to the saucepan, and cook over medium-low heat, whisking into every corner, until the base bubbles and becomes thick enough to hold a clear whisk trail. Cook for 1 minute more to remove the raw taste of flour, then take it off the heat and whisk in the reserved almond milk. If the base has formed lumps, do not keep beating them around the pan. Pass it through a fine sieve while warm. Ça se rattrape. Press reusable wrap or baking paper directly against the surface and cool until merely warm, about 10 minutes, then stir in the chopped almonds.

4. 4

   Whip and fold

   Whisk the egg whites in a perfectly clean bowl until they form soft peaks. Add the remaining 40 g sugar gradually and continue whisking only to glossy medium peaks whose tips bend softly; dry, stiff whites break into lumps and shed their air during folding. Stir one quarter of the whites firmly into the almond base. If the cooled base seems alarmingly stiff, this first addition is its rescue, so mix until supple without worrying about lost volume. Add the remaining whites in two batches, cutting down through the center with a broad spatula, sweeping across the bottom, and turning the bowl after each stroke. Stop as soon as no large white pockets remain.

5. 5

   Fill and bake

   Spoon the batter into the prepared timbale without tapping the dish, then level the surface lightly. Run a clean thumb around the inside edge to make a shallow channel about 1 cm wide; this frees the crown to rise evenly. Set the dish on the heated baking sheet and bake without opening the door for 22 minutes. Continue for 4 to 8 minutes, until the soufflé stands well above the rim, the crown is deep butter-gold, and the center trembles without sloshing. If a slender skewer shows liquid batter, return the dish to the oven immediately for 3 minutes. It may lose a little height when tested, but it will recover enough lift, and a properly cooked center matters more than theater.

6. 6

   Serve without waiting

   Carry the soufflé straight to the table in its baking dish and spoon it into warm dessert bowls, cutting down through the bronzed crown so each serving receives some crust and some tender center. A soufflé begins settling as soon as it leaves the oven. That is its nature, not a failure. Guests wait for the soufflé; the soufflé does not wait for guests. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Keep the source ratio exactly: 42 g of lightly grilled almonds for 284 ml of almond milk. More nuts make the mixture heavy, while fewer leave the almond milk carrying the flavor alone.
• •Choose rich, unsweetened almond milk without vanilla. The thin, sweetened sort gives a weak base and changes the sweetness the recipe was built around.
• •Grill the almonds only to pale gold. The source asks for them slightly grilled so their fragrance opens while their flavor stays delicate; dark roasting turns the whole soufflé bitter.
• •For a dinner party, have everyone seated before you fold the whites. The finished batter cannot be held, and the baked soufflé has no patience for a missing guest.
• •Serve with a small glass of Sauternes if you want wine. The honeyed acidity suits almond without asking the soufflé to share its dish with a sauce.

Advance Preparation

• •The almonds can be lightly grilled, cooled, and chopped a day ahead. Keep them airtight at room temperature so they remain crisp.
• •The timbale can be buttered and sugared several hours ahead, then kept chilled.
• •The cooked almond cream base can be prepared up to 6 hours ahead. Cover its surface directly and refrigerate it, then let it lose its chill and whisk it smooth before adding the almonds and whites.
• •Whip and fold the whites only when the oven is hot and the table is ready. A folded soufflé mixture cannot wait without surrendering its lift.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 160g)