Rothschild Soufflé

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1-quart (1-liter) straight-sided ceramic soufflé dish
• •Medium heavy-bottomed saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk
• •Large balloon whisk and flexible spatula
• •Parchment paper and kitchen twine
• •Heavy baking sheet

Instructions

1. 1

   Macerate the fruit

   Combine the candied fruit and Danziger Goldwasser in a small bowl, turning the dice until every surface gleams with the liqueur and its gold flecks. Leave them for 30 minutes. Tip the fruit into a fine sieve for the final 5 minutes so it remains perfumed but no longer drips; free liquid weighs down the soufflé. Meanwhile, hull the strawberries, dry them completely, and leave them at cool room temperature. Use them whole if they are truly small, or halve larger berries lengthwise.

2. 2

   Ready dish and oven

   Heat a conventional oven to 400°F (200°C), or 375°F (190°C) with a fan, with a sturdy baking sheet on a rack in the lower third. Brush a 1-quart straight-sided soufflé dish with 1 tablespoon of the softened butter, working upward from base to rim, then coat it with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and tap out the excess. Tie a double strip of buttered parchment around the outside so it stands about 2 inches above the rim. The upward butter marks and sugared wall give the batter a clean path to climb.

3. 3

   Cook the cream base

   Bring the milk just to a simmer in a medium saucepan. In a bowl, whisk the four yolks with 5 tablespoons of the sugar and the salt until lighter and thick, then whisk in the flour until smooth. Pour in half the hot milk gradually, whisking constantly, then return everything to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking into every corner, until the base boils in slow, heavy bubbles and becomes very thick; continue for 2 minutes so the flour loses its raw taste. Remove it from the heat and beat in the remaining tablespoon of butter. If lumps have formed, pass the warm base through a fine sieve immediately. Ça se rattrape. Scrape it into a wide bowl and stir once each minute until lukewarm, about 10 minutes. A hot base cooks the foam, while a cold, rigid one tears it.

4. 4

   Whip the whites

   With a scrupulously clean bowl and beaters, whip the five egg whites at medium speed until they form soft peaks. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar gradually, then whip only until the foam is glossy and a lifted peak stands with its tip gently bent. Dry, clumpy whites won't fold cleanly. If you have taken them slightly too far, add the optional fresh egg white and whisk on low just until the foam becomes smooth again; ça se rattrape.

5. 5

   Fold fruit and whites

   Stir the drained candied fruit into the lukewarm cream base, leaving any puddle of liqueur behind. Beat one-quarter of the whipped whites firmly into the base to loosen it; this first portion is sacrificed so the rest can keep its air. Fold in the remaining whites in two additions, cutting the spatula down through the center, sweeping along the bottom, and turning the bowl after each stroke. Stop as the final white streak disappears. Spoon the batter into the prepared dish, level it lightly, and run a clean fingertip around the inside edge to make a shallow channel that encourages an even rise.

6. 6

   Bake, then crown

   Set the dish on the hot baking sheet and bake without opening the door for 14 to 16 minutes. When the soufflé has risen above the rim and its crown looks set rather than wet, pull the rack partway out and quickly arrange the strawberries in a border near the outer edge. Lay them on with a light hand and never press. If a berry breaks the surface and begins to sink, lift it off at once and leave that space empty; ça se rattrape, and an incomplete ring is better than a pulled-down crown. Close the oven and bake for another 7 to 9 minutes, until the top is deep butter-gold, the strawberries gleam, and the center gives a slow tremble rather than a liquid wave.

   Open the oven only once for the strawberries, and have them lined up beside you first. The late placement is the dish: set them on earlier and their weight carries them through the batter.
7. 7

   Serve at once

   Remove the parchment collar carefully and carry the soufflé straight to the table in its baking dish. Spoon vertically through the crown so each serving receives soft cream base, candied fruit, and one of the warm strawberries. Its settling at the table is natural; delay, not collapse, is the enemy. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Danziger Goldwasser is generally sold as a liqueur, though the classical entry calls it Dantzig brandy. Its herbal perfume and suspended edible gold leaf define this soufflé. Ordinary Cognac makes a pleasant fruit soufflé, but it does not make Soufflé Rothschild.
• •À la crème here names the cooked cream-style base of milk, yolks, sugar, and flour. Heavy cream is not poured into the batter; it would loosen the base and burden the whites.
• •Use strawberries only when they are small, fragrant, and fully ripe. Out of season, the entry itself permits half-sugared preserved cherries, drained and dried very well, but the strawberry version remains the correct seasonal form.
• •Choose firm, dry candied fruit rather than pieces swimming in syrup. Orange peel, citron, and cherry make a balanced mixture, diced finely enough to disperse without forming heavy pockets.
• •A demi-sec Champagne suits the candied fruit and herbal liqueur without burying them. Pour it before the whites are folded, because once the soufflé enters the oven, the table belongs to the oven clock.

Advance Preparation

• •The candied fruit may macerate for up to 4 hours under cover. If refrigerated, bring it back to cool room temperature before draining so it doesn't chill the cream base.
• •The cooked cream base may be prepared up to one day ahead. Press reusable wrap directly against its surface, chill it, then let it soften at room temperature and whisk it smooth before adding the fruit.
• •Butter, sugar, and collar the soufflé dish earlier in the day. Once the whites are folded into the base, nothing waits: fill the dish, bake it, and serve it immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 190g)