Vanilla Soufflé

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1-quart (950 ml) straight-sided porcelain soufflé dish, about 6 1/2 inches (16 cm) across
• •Small heavy-bottomed saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Large grease-free mixing bowl
• •Balloon whisk or electric hand mixer
• •Broad flexible spatula
• •Rimmed baking sheet

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the dish

   Set a rack in the lower-middle of the oven, place a rimmed baking sheet on it, and heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter the bottom and straight sides of a 1-quart (950 ml) soufflé dish generously, then coat them with the sugar, turning the dish until every buttered patch is covered. Tap out the excess and wipe the rim clean. The sugared surface gives the rising mixture something to grip.

2. 2

   Infuse the milk

   Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape its seeds into the milk. Add the pod, warm the milk until small bubbles gather around the edge, then cover and take it off the heat for 15 minutes. This quiet infusion is the whole flavor of the dish, so don't hurry it. Remove the pod and return the milk to just below a simmer.

3. 3

   Cook the cream base

   Whisk the three yolks with the sugar for the base until slightly pale, then whisk in the flour until perfectly smooth. Pour in one-third of the hot vanilla milk while whisking, add the rest gradually, and return everything to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking into the corners, until the mixture thickens and gives two or three slow bubbles. Continue for one minute to cook the flour. If lumps form, take the pan off the heat and push the base through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, then cook it for another 30 seconds. Ça se rattrape. Transfer it to a wide bowl and whisk occasionally until warm rather than hot, about 10 minutes.

   The base should be thick enough to hold the tracks of the whisk but still fall from it in a heavy ribbon. If it tightens into a paste, loosen it with 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 15 g) of warm milk.
4. 4

   Whip the whites

   Put the four egg whites in a spotless, grease-free bowl. Whisk until they form soft peaks, then add the sugar for the whites a little at a time while continuing to whisk. Stop at glossy medium peaks: the foam should stand when the whisk lifts, then bend gently at the tip. Dry, clotted whites have gone too far and won't fold cleanly, so stop while they are still supple.

5. 5

   Fold and fill

   Whisk one-quarter of the whites firmly into the warm vanilla base to lighten it. Add half the remaining whites and fold with a broad spatula, cutting down through the center, sweeping across the bottom, and lifting the base over the top. Fold in the final whites just until no large white islands remain. A few fine streaks are better than a slack, overworked mixture. Spoon it into the prepared dish, smooth the top lightly, and run a clean thumb around the inside edge to make a shallow channel between the mixture and the rim.

6. 6

   Bake without peeking

   Set the dish immediately on the hot baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Keep the oven door closed for the first 20 minutes, because a rush of cool air can collapse the structure before it sets. The soufflé is ready when it has risen well above the rim, the top is deeply butter-gold, and the center still trembles slightly rather than sloshing. If the center looks liquid, close the door gently and give it another 3 minutes. The internal temperature should reach about 160°F (71°C).

7. 7

   Serve at once

   Carry the soufflé straight to the table and serve it with a broad spoon, giving each person some bronzed top and tender center. It will begin settling within minutes because that is what a hot soufflé does, not because you failed. Never apologize at your own table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The source calls for milk infused with a stick of vanilla. Use the whole pod, seeds and all; vanilla extract gives aroma, but it cannot reproduce the rounded flavor of a proper infusion in a dish with nowhere to hide.
• •Cream soufflé-preparation means a cooked crème-style base, not heavy cream. The stated foundation is milk, and replacing it with cream would make the mixture heavier and blunt the lift.
• •A straight-sided 1-quart (950 ml) dish matters more than a decorative one. Sloping sides encourage the mixture to spread outward when you need it climbing upward.
• •Know your serving moment before the whites are whipped. Guests seated, plates ready, spoon waiting. A soufflé can wait for no one, though everyone will happily wait for the soufflé.

Advance Preparation

• •The dish can be buttered and sugared several hours ahead, covered, and kept cold. Bring it out while the oven heats.
• •The vanilla milk can be infused one day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Warm it gently to just below a simmer before making the base.
• •The cooked cream base can be prepared up to four hours ahead. Press parchment directly against its surface, chill it, then let it soften at room temperature and whisk it smooth before folding in the whites.
• •Once the whites have been folded into the base, bake immediately. Holding the assembled soufflé costs the air you worked to build.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 120g)