Best Garlic Souffle Recipes

Steps:

• In "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," their profoundly influential 1961 cookbook, Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle describe the soufflé as the "epitome and triumph of the art of French cooking." A half-century later, soufflé remains as vital as ever, as successive generations of chefs revisit and refresh the classic recipe. A souffle has two main components, a flavorful base and glossy beaten egg whites, and they are gently folded together just before baking. The word itself comes from "souffler," meaning "to breathe" or "to puff," which is what the whites do to the base once they hit the oven's heat. The base may be made either savory or sweet. Savory soufflés usually incorporate cheese, vegetables, meat or seafood and are appropriate for a light dinner or lunch, or as a first course. They require a substantial and stable base, in the form of a cooked sauce that often involves butter, egg yolks and some kind of starch (flour, rice or cornstarch). Sweet soufflés, with fruit, chocolate or liquors, make spectacular desserts. The base can be made from a fruit purée, or a sweet, rich sauce. Soufflés are found all over France, with each region applying its own spin. In Alsace, cooks use kirsch. In Provence, goat cheese or eggplant are excellent additions. And naturally, Roquefort cheese is a popular addition in Roquefort.
• Marie-Antoine Carême, the father of French haute cuisine, is credited with perfecting and popularizing the soufflé, publishing his recipe in "Le Pâtissier Royal Parisien" in 1815. (The first recipe had appeared in 1742, in Vincent La Chapelle's "Le Cuisinier Moderne.") Initially, Carême made his soufflés in stiff pastry casings called croustades that were lined with buttered paper. Soon after, vessels were developed just for making souffles, deep dishes with straight sides, for the tallest rise. Carême went on to create several variations, including Soufflé Rothschild, named after his employer, one of the richest men in France; it contained candied fruit macerated in a liquor containing flecks of gold. (Contemporary versions substitute more attainable kirsch for the golden elixir.) As the soufflé evolved, the number of variations grew. By the time Auguste Escoffier published "Le Guide Culinaire" in 1903, which codified the classic recipes of French cuisine, more than 60 soufflé variations were in common use, with versions that incorporated ingredients as varied as Parmesan cheese, foie gras, escarole, pheasant, violets, almonds and tea. A layered soufflé called a Camargo alternated stripes of tangerine and hazelnut soufflé batters in the same dish. "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," published nearly six decades later, offered several recipes, including a version called Soufflé Vendôme, in which cold poached eggs are layered into the unbaked soufflé mixture. After baking, the eggs warm up slightly, releasing their runny yolks when the soufflé is broken. Despite a movement in France in recent years that called for a more experimental take on traditional cuisine, there is still a place for perfect soufflé. And while chefs may innovate upon the classic version, those first 18th-century recipes are still very much in use. Above, the menu at Le Soufflé, a restaurant in Paris.
• Soufflé mold The soufflé has a pan created just for it, a deep ceramic dish with straight sides. Ceramic holds the heat evenly, so the center cooks at nearly the same rate as the edges, and the sides direct the expanding air upward, to give the most rise. A heavy metal charlotte mold also works. Or use a shallow oven-safe dish, like a gratin dish or a skillet. The soufflé won't rise as high, but it will still puff up. (It will likely cook faster, so watch it carefully.)Metal mixing bowl You will achieve better results beating the whites in a metal mixing bowl rather than in a plastic, glass or ceramic bowl. Plastic can retain oily residue, and glass and ceramic are slippery, making it harder to get the whites to cling and climb up the sides. This is especially important if you are beating the whites by hand. Stainless steel or copper work best.Electric mixer Using an electric mixer, whether it is a hand-held model or a stand mixer, makes the work of beating egg whites go faster and easier than if you were to use a whisk and your arms. Wirecutter, a product recommendations website owned by The New York Times Company, has a guide to the best stand mixers.
• A chocolate soufflé is an eternal showstopper of a dessert. The flavor is dark and intense, yet the texture is light and custardy. Be sure to use excellent bittersweet chocolate. For maximum drama, always serve a soufflé straight from the oven.
• The primary technique for making a tall and airy soufflé is the proper beating of the egg whites. Once you learn it, a whole fluffy world opens up, rich with spongecakes, mousses and foams.• Always use eggs at room temperature or even warm, for the highest rise. Cold egg whites won't beat up as loftily. To get cold eggs to temperature quickly, soak them in their shells in warm water for 20 minutes. • Make sure your hands are clean. If there is any trace of oil or grease on them and you touch the egg whites, the soufflé may not puff. • Crack your eggs on a flat surface, like the countertop, instead of on the rim of the bowl. That way, you are less likely to shatter the shell and pierce the yolk. • There are two ways to separate eggs. The first is to hold the cracked egg over a bowl and pass the yolk between shells, letting the white slip into the bowl. Gently drop the yolk in into a separate, smaller bowl. Take care: The sharp edge of the shell can easily pierce the yolk, allowing it to seep into the white. The other method requires you to strain the whites through your fingers, but it ensures that yolks do not creep into the whites. First, set up three bowls. Hold your hand over one bowl and drop the cracked egg into your palm, letting the white run through your fingers into the bowl. Drop the yolk into the second bowl. Inspect the white for traces of yolk. If there are none, slip the white into the third bowl. Repeat with remaining eggs. Using that first bowl as a way station for each freshly cracked white before it gets added to the main bowl of pristine whites helps ensure no yolk contaminates the mixture.• Well-beaten, stable whites are the key to a gorgeously puffy soufflé. So don't rush this step. The slower you go, the better your chances for success. • Take a moment to make sure there are no traces of yolk or any fat in the egg whites or the bowl. (Egg yolk will impede the whites from frothing.) • Adding a little bit of acid (in our recipes, cream of tartar) helps stabilize the egg foam, and also helps prevent overbeating. Beating the whites in a copper bowl will produce a similar result without the added acid, which is why copper bowls were historically considered essential for making meringues. • If you are using a stand mixer, check the bottom of the bowl every now and then for unbeaten egg whites. Sometimes the whites pool there, and when you go to incorporate the meringue into the base, those whites will deflate the overall soufflé. Whisk any pooled whites by hand into the rest of the meringue and continue beating with the machine. • Beat until the meringue is just able to hold stiff peaks. This means that when you lift the whisk out of the meringue, it will create a little cowlick that stays upright without drooping as you gently move the whisk. It should look glossy, or be just starting to lose its shine. Don't overbeat (which will make the foam turn grainy and dry) or underbeat (which won't give the proper lift). If you overbeat your whites, you might be able to rescue them by beating in another egg white. This often restores them.• The goal in folding the egg whites into the base is to work quickly and use a light touch. This lightens the base, making it easier to fold in the rest of the meringue mixture all at once. Fold in a C shape, as demonstrated in the video above: Starting in the middle of the bowl, drag the thin edge of a spatula down like a knife, then tilt and scoop up a spatula full of the soufflé base, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Turn the batter over, away from your body, back into the middle of the bowl. Shift the bowl 45 degrees, and repeat. • Stop folding when the streaks of white have just disappeared - or rather, when they have almost disappeared. A few white streaks are preferable to overfolding, which deflates the batter.• Buttering the soufflé dish, then coating the butter with something with a bit of texture, is essential for the rise. If the soufflé dish were to be just buttered, the soufflé would slip down the sides instead of climbing. An additional thin coating of granulated sugar, bread crumbs, ground nuts or grated cheese creates a rough texture for the egg whites to hold onto as they rise.• If your soufflé dish isn't big enough to accommodate all of the batter, you can extend it by tying a buttered piece of parchment paper or foil around the rim of the soufflé dish to increase its volume.• For individual soufflés, use small ramekins placed on a rimmed baking sheet so they are easy to get in and out of the oven. Reduce the cooking time of a larger soufflé by about half.• Heat matters. Make sure the oven is preheated; that initial hot blast expands the air trapped inside the bubbly foam of batter, which makes it rise. Having the soufflé base hot or warm when you fold in the egg whites helps the temperature rise quickly, too.• Baking the soufflé on a preheated baking sheet on the bottom of the oven helps the soufflé cook on the bottom as well as the top, producing a more even result. The baking sheet will also catch any overflow.• For a higher rise, rub your thumb around the inside rim of the soufflé dish to create a gap between the dish and the batter. (Many soufflé dishes already have a groove there to help.) • If you want a perfectly flat top to your soufflé, level the foam with the back of a knife before baking, and before running your thumb around the edge of the dish. Or you could leave the foam as it is, for a more natural, wavy look. Julia Child preferred a natural top; pastry chefs tend to prefer a flat top. • A soufflé is done baking when it has risen above the rim of the dish and is nicely browned on top. It should feel mostly firm and only slightly jiggly when you lightly tap the top. Flourless soufflés, such as those made with fruit purée or chocolate, are lighter and cook faster. (Chocolate soufflés can also be intentionally underbaked for a gooey chocolate interior. The soufflé should be a tad wiggly when gently shaken but firm around the edges.) Thicker soufflés made with flour, like a cheese soufflé, don't rise as much in the oven, but won't collapse as much either. • Use the window of your oven to monitor the soufflé, and don't open the oven door until you see the soufflé puff up over the sides of the dish. Once it has done that, you can safely open the oven and check on it. • If the top of your soufflé starts to brown too fast, top it with a round of parchment paper. • All soufflés fall within minutes of coming out of the oven, because the hot air bubbles contract when they hit cooler air. That's why you need to serve them immediately after baking. But as long as you don't overfold the whites, and you resist opening the oven door until the last few minutes of baking, your soufflé will rise gloriously before the dramatic and expected collapse. • You can prepare any soufflé batter ahead, but you will probably lose some volume. Assemble the soufflé in its dish, then set it aside in a warm place without drafts for up to four hours. Julia Child recommends turning your largest soup pot over the soufflé, and that would work. But any draft-free space is fine. A draft could deflate the foam.
• This savory soufflé is as classic as can be, with beaten egg whites folded into a rich cheese-laden béchamel for flavor and stability. Gruyère is the traditional cheese used for soufflé, but a good aged Cheddar would also work nicely. This makes a great lunch or brunch dish.
• Once you've mastered more basic soufflés, try this very light recipe, adapted from Julia Child, which uses a base of syrupy fruit to flavor the egg whites, without the addition of fats or starches. A combination of raspberries and strawberries makes it marvelously pink.
• Savory soufflés are usually served by themselves, but sweet soufflés often have a sauce on the side, to be poured into the center of the soufflé after you've dug in your spoon. Or opt for ice cream, which provides a thrilling hot-cold contrast. Either will deflate the soufflé, so add it after your guests have had a chance to admire it. This creamy custard, made from egg yolks and milk, is a great sauce for any sweet soufflé, including chocolate, fruit and Grand Marnier. You can flavor the sauce with a dash of liquor, some lemon zest or a pinch of cinnamon or another spice.A versatile choice, caramel sauce is lovely with all kinds of sweet soufflés, be they flavored with simple vanilla bean, chocolate or fruit.A perfect match for fruit soufflés, this can be as simple as a lightly sweetened purée of fruit, or a more elaborate fruit-flavored custard or curd.A chocolate sauce accentuates the richness of chocolate soufflés. You can use the same type of chocolate in the sauce as you've used in the soufflé, or try mixing it up, using a darker and more bitter chocolate to cut the sweetness, or a milk chocolate to step it up.
• Photography Food styling: Alison Attenborough. Prop styling: Beverley Hyde. Additional photography: Karsten Moran for The New York Times. Additional styling: Jade Zimmerman. Video Food styling: Chris Barsch and Jade Zimmerman. Art direction: Alex Brannian. Prop styling: Catherine Pearson. Director of photography: James Herron. Camera operators: Tim Wu and Zack Sainz. Editing: Will Lloyd and Adam Saewitz. Additional editing: Meg Felling.
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• Omelet

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 2-quart gratin dish and sprinkle bottom and sides with Parmesan. Using a sharp knife or food processor, mince garlic.
• Melt butter in a saucepan and let cook for 1 minute. Add flour and cook, whisking, until mixture is pale golden, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the milk and thyme sprigs, and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick and smooth, about 2 minutes longer.
• Turn off heat and whisk in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in egg yolks, one at a time. Whisk in minced garlic, cheese and chives.
• In a mixer, whip egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks. Using a spatula, fold a third of the whites into yolk mixture to lighten it, then fold in remaining whites, taking care not to overmix. As you fold, pluck out and discard thyme sprigs.
• Spread mixture in prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until golden brown and puffed, 20 to 25 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
• Set aside three cloves of garlic for the basic sauce. Put the remaining garlic cloves in a small, shallow baking dish and add the olive oil, water, one-half teaspoon thyme, one bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cover closely and place in the oven. Bake one and one-half hours or until the garlic is totally tender. Baste the garlic pieces occasionally as they cook.
• Meanwhile, melt the six tablespoons butter in a heavy saucepan and add the flour, stirring with a wire whisk. Bring the half-andhalf and heavy cream to the boil in a small saucepan and add it to the flour and butter mixture, stirring rapidly with the whisk. When thickened and smooth, add salt to taste. Set the saucepan in a basin of simmering water.
• Tie the quartered onion, the reserved garlic cloves, one-half teaspoon thyme, the remaining two bay leaves, parsley sprigs and peppercorns in a small square of cheesecloth. Bring up the ends and tie them to make a bag. Add this to the sauce. Cover closely and let the sauce cook in simmering water about one hour, stirring the sauce occasionally. Remove the saucepan from the water and let it cool briefly. Remove and discard the cheesecloth bag.
• Increase the oven heat to 450 degrees.
• Put the baked garlic through a food mill, pressing to extract as much pulp and liquid as possible from the solids. Or press it through a sieve, using a pestle. There should be about one and one-half tablespoons. Add this to the cream sauce and stir.
• Add the egg yolks, the Gruyere or Swiss cheese and two-thirds cup of the Parmesan and beat well to blend. Add the cayenne, salt and pepper and blend well.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff. Add half of them to the cheese sauce and beat them in. Add the remaining whites and fold them quickly until well distributed.
• Generously butter a 12-inch oval, ovenproof platter. Pour in the souffle mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and thyme. Place on the top rack of the oven and bake 10 minutes until well browned.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter well and chill 8 1 1/4-cup souffle dishes.
• Saute garlic in olive oil over medium heat for several minutes. Do not let brown. Add zucchini slices, hot pepper flakes, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat 10 minutes, shaking pan and stirring often. Uncover and cook until all moisture evaporates.
• Place zucchini in bowl of food processeor along with the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. Puree well. Taste for seasoning. You should have about 3 cups.
• Transfer mixture to bowl and add yolks. Blend well with wire whisk. In another bowl whisk whites until they form soft peaks. Fold 1/4 of whites into mixture, then remainder. Do not overwork. Taste for seasoning.
• Place souffle dishes on baking sheet and fill to rim with mixture. Before placing in oven run thumb around rim of each to remove any overflow, which could cling and prevent souffle from rising fully. Bake for approximately 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
• Trim 1/4 inch from tops of whole heads of garlic, then put heads on a large sheet of foil and drizzle each with 1 teaspoon oil. Wrap heads together in foil and roast until very tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool to warm, then squeeze garlic from skins.
• Meanwhile, bring milk, smashed garlic cloves, onion, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, clove, and peppercorns just to a boil in a medium saucepan, then remove from heat and cover. Let steep 30 minutes.
• Butter a 12-inch oval (2-quart) gratin dish with 1 tablespoon butter, then sprinkle bottom and side with bread crumbs and chill until ready to use.
• Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a heavy medium saucepan and whisk in flour. Cook roux over low heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes.
• Strain milk mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, then add to roux, whisking until smooth. Bring to a boil, whisking, then simmer béchamel, whisking, 3 minutes. Remove from heat and vigorously whisk in yolks 1 at a time. Whisk in roasted garlic, parmesan, nutmeg, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and transfer to a bowl.
• Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks, then stir one third of egg whites into yolk mixture. Fold in Gruyère, then remaining whites. Transfer mixture to gratin dish, smoothing top, and sprinkle with thyme leaves.
• Bake soufflé until set and browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

Steps:

• Use room temperature butter to grease an 8-inch souffle mold. Add the grated Parmesan and roll around the mold to cover the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the freezer for 5 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a small saucepan, heat the butter. Allow all of the water to cook out.
• In a separate bowl combine the flour, dry mustard, garlic powder, and kosher salt. Whisk this mixture into the melted butter. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Whisk in the hot milk and turn the heat to high. Once the mixture reaches a boil, remove from the heat.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks to a creamy consistency. Temper the yolks into the milk mixture, constantly whisking. Remove from the heat and add the cheese. Whisk until incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until glossy and firm. Add 1/4 of the mixture to the base. Continue to add the whites by thirds, folding very gently.
• Pour the mixture into the souffle. Fill the souffle to 1/2-inch from the top. Place on an aluminum pie pan. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine soup and cheese. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Cool. , In a bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored; stir into soup mixture. In another bowl, beat six egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form; fold into soup mixture. , Spoon into a 2-qt. straight-sided baking dish coated with cooking spray and dusted with bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until the souffle is risen and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 6-cup soufflé dish or gratin dish and dust it with a few tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese.
• 2. Put the garlic, cream, and thyme in a small saucepan over low heat. Bring slowly to a boil, then turn off the heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes.
• 3. Wash the spinach well, then wilt it in a skillet with the water clinging to the leaves. Tip it into a colander, press out the moisture, then finely chop.
• 4. Melt the 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute while stirring. Whisk in the milk and stir until it thickens. Add 1 teaspoon salt, then stir in the goat cheese and remaining Parmesan. Turn off the heat and stir in the egg yolks, spinach, and the garlic-cream mixture. Season with pepper.
• 5. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form firm peaks that are just a bit on the soft side. Fold the whites and base together. Scrape the batter into the prepared dish and bake until golden brown and set, about 25 minutes for a gratin dish, 30 minutes if using a soufflé dish.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Saute mushrooms, garlic and lemon juice in two tablespoons of the butter.
• Add parley, and tranfer to a medium bowl; set aside.
• Melt the rest of the butter, add flour and stir in for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat and stir in milk.
• Return to heat and allow to boil until thickened, while stirring continuously.
• Add the sauce to the mushroom mixture.
• Beat in the egg yolks.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold into the mushroom mixture.
• Fill into greased ramekins, place on a baking sheet, and cook for 10 minutes.
• Watch carefully once they have risen to be sure not to overcook as they will turn rubbery.
• Serve immediately before they collapse.

Steps:

• Place the garlic in a saucepan and add cold water to cover. Bring to the boil and let simmer about 40 minutes or until tender. Drain.
• Peel the garlic and put the cloves in a bowl. Mash well. There should be about one-quarter cup.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Butter four individual souffle dishes, each with a one-and-one-half-cup capacity. Chill.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, stirring with a wire whisk. When blended, add the milk, stirring rapidly with the whisk. When thickened and smooth, remove from the heat.
• Blend the cornstarch and water, and stir into the sauce. Return to the heat, stirring, and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle with black pepper and cayenne. Add the cheese and garlic.
• Beat the egg yolks and add them to the mixture. Beat vigorously and bring barely to the boil. Remove from the heat and immediately scrape the mixture into a mixing bowl to prevent further cooking. Let cool briefly.
• Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until stiff. Add one-third of the whites to the cheese mixture and beat with a wire whisk. Add the remaining whites and fold them in, stirring from the bottom and sides.
• Spoon equal amounts of the mixture into the individual dishes. Place the dishes on a baking sheet in the oven and bake 12 minutes until well puffed and brown.

Steps:

• Melt 1 tbsp of the butter and add the garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, pepper to taste, 3/4 cup water and the vinegar. Simmer covered for 10 minutes, then uncover and boil till the water has evaporated. Add the milk, bring to the boil, then process in a blender. Measure 1 cup garlic-milk mixture.
• Heat the remaining butter and stir in the flour and thyme. Cook for a minute, then make a white sauce by gradually stirring in the garlic milk till thick. Transfer to a big bowl, add the grated cheese, three-quarters of the Parmesan, then the egg yolks. Set aside.
• Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F convection). Butter the individual soufflé dishes and dust the sides with the remaining Parmesan; if you have any left over, stir into the sauce. Set in a roasting pan and put a kettle on to boil.
• Beat egg whites till firm but not dry. Fold half into the soufflé base, then add the rest. Spoon into the dishes (fill them almost to the top), pour boiling water into the pan to one-third of the depth of the dishes and bake for 20-25 minutes, till puffed and cooked through. Remove from oven and leave to cool-they will sink.
• When cool, run a knife round the edge to loosen each soufflé, gently upend on to your hand, then put the right way up on one big dish or 6 gratin dishes. (You can make the soufflés a day ahead, or even freeze them. Make sure they are at room temperature before the second baking.)
• To serve, set your oven to 400°F (375°F convection). Mix the cream with salt and pepper, grated nutmeg and Parmesan or other cheese. Pour over the soufflés to cover completely, then if you wish sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake for 10-15 minutes, till golden and the sauce bubbling. They will gently re-puff.