All Puffed Up!

Springy oozy soufflés are easier to make than you think – follow these instructions to the letter and you won’t go wrong Crab Soufflé Serves 4 1½oz butter 1½oz flour 145ml single cream 145ml milk 1tbsp onion, grated 2tbsp parmesan cheese, grated ½tsp dry mustard powder 3tbsp parsley, chopped 1½tsp anchovy essence 2tsp lemon juice Cayenne pepper to taste 5 egg yolks 8oz cooked crabmeat 6 egg whites Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 200ºC. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour, cook for 2 minutes. Add the cream and milk a little at a time, stirring after each addition. Bring to the boil and, still stirring, simmer for a minute or two. Remove from the heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients except for the crabmeat and egg whites. Next add the crabmeat, and season well. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold 1 tablespoon of egg white into the crab mixture with a metal spoon, then fold in the rest, a quarter at a time. Then, pour the mixture into a buttered 4-pint soufflé dish, and place the dish on the preheated baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes – if the soufflé is getting too brown after 30 minutes, cover it with foil CHOCOLATE RUM SOUFFLÉ Serves 4 4oz plain chocolate 2tbsp rum 4 egg yolks 6 large egg whites Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 200ºC. Break the chocolate into a mixing bowl and add the rum. Place the bowl over a saucepan of water that has just boiled. Once the chocolate is soft, beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. In a small basin, whisk the egg yolks and stir into the chocolate. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold 1 tablespoon of egg white into the chocolate mixture with a metal spoon, then fold in the rest, a quarter at a time. Pour into a buttered 2-pint soufflé dish and bake on the preheated baking sheet for 20 minutes, until the soufflé is springy to the touch. BROCCOLI SOUFFLÉ Serves 4 1lb broccoli 1oz butter 2tbsp plain flour 145ml milk 2oz cheddar cheese, grated ¼ whole nutmeg, grated Cayenne pepper to taste 4 large eggs 1tbsp parmesan cheese, grated Place a large roasting tin, filled with 1½ inches of water, in the oven and preheat to 200ºC. Place the broccoli in a saucepan with 175 milliliters of boiling water. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until soft. Drain, then mash to a pulp with a large fork. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour, when it’s smooth gradually add the milk, stirring after each addition, to form a paste. Turn down the heat and mix in the cheddar. Combine the cheese mixture with the broccoli pulp, season, and add the nutmeg and cayenne. Separate the eggs, then mix the 2 yolks into the broccoli. Whisk the 4 egg whites until they stand up in peaks; fold 1 tablespoon of egg white into the broccoli mixture with a metal spoon, then fold in the rest, a quarter at a time. Spoon the mixture into a buttered 2-pint soufflé dish and sprinkle with parmesan. Place the dish in the preheated roasting tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until risen and golden.