Souffle

This actually is today's lunch. I can't say it was a particularly large lunch, but T was quite happy with the souffle.

Parmesan Souffle, sauteed yellow squash, stir fried asparagus with lemon, eggplant baked with tomatoes, low fat ricotta and mixed Italian cheezes (and plenty of garlic).

Don't chuckle about the souffle. It's so much easier than you've been led to believe.

The reason we think it's hard is because restaurants can't do it. They can't do it because it requires last minute beating of egg whites and they don't want to deal with that in the kitchen. If beating egg whites is just too hard, then forget it, but for most people, especially guys, this is a cinch. Remember, this is farmer's food. Truly. Have a good, clean whisk and go for it.

There are only three things to remember with eggwhites: the bowl and whisk must be completely free of oil and yolk, it's easier with a tall-sided bowl and a big whisk, it must be done right before you mix and cook.

It's a bechamel. You've had this as a base for your milk gravy, or mac and cheese. It's just oil and flour in equal parts sauteed to cook the flour. This keeps it from making lumps when you add cold liquid.

I doubled the recipe in The New Joy of Cooking. I cheated and used 4 T of butter and 6 T of flour because a thicker sauce is better for this. The New Joy has good technique, but I'd never use warm liquid. I warmed half the measure with the 2-3 T minced onion, 2 cloves and 1 bay leaf till the onion was soft, strained it and put it in the freezer when it was done, then mixed it with the remaining measure of milk from the fridge when it was time. I also left the minced onion (I was out of shallots) in the pan, threw in the butter and flour, sauteed, then poured in the 2 1/2 cups milk and whisked till it was thick.

While that cooled I separated the eggs, shredded the Swiss and measured the grated Parmesan (any combo you like), and also buttered the souffle molds and sprinkled them with Parm to coat.

By this time the bechamel had cooled, I whisked in the 6 egg yolks one at a time, added the 2 1/2 cups cheese, dash of nutmeg and 1 t salt, and turned on the oven to 375. Cleaned the whisk, beat the whites, stirred some into the bechamel mixture roughly then carefully folded the rest, poured, baked, puffed, ate! They were lovely. It took about 40 minutes. Of course they fall very quickly, but are no less delicious, and it makes left over souffle easier to pack. If you reheat a slice, do it in the toaster oven, like toast, but it's just as nice cold.