Recently the lovely Tony Fleming, Head Chef at No.1 Aldwych, entered a dessert into the Best British Dish - a blackberry soufflé with a blackberry and elderflower granita.
I adore soufflés - I usually order it if I see one on the menu - and find it a very good way of comparing chefs. Technique is rarely the issue, but even in Michelin starred restaurants you find the most extraordinary combination of ingredients. As a result, some soufflés are simply tasteless and mediocre, some are rather nasty, and some absolutely sing.
L'Ortolan's Hot Dutch Mistress Soufflés
Twitter is a marvellous way for chefs, artisanal foodmakers, critics, and food bloggers to chat. Conversations are often random, and can run off in any direction, like quicksilver!
Michel Roux's Chocolate Soufflé [also for Thermomix]
Chocolate souffle - the ultimate hit of chocolate, but without the guilty stodge... You can almost convince yourself that this doesn't count... This is the joy of soufflés, they satisfy without making you feel as though you've eaten a whole tart... Would be delicious served with pistachio ice-cream...
Pierre Koffmann's Pistachio Soufflé
Ingredients
500ml milk
½ vanilla pod
120g egg yolks
100g caster sugar
50g plain flour
40g pistachio paste
25g butter, softened
25g dark chocolate, grated
4 egg whites (let's say 120g)
1 tbsp caster sugar
Icing sugar, to serve
500ml milk
½ vanilla pod
120g egg yolks
100g caster sugar
50g plain flour
40g pistachio paste
25g butter, softened
25g dark chocolate, grated
4 egg whites (let's say 120g)
1 tbsp caster sugar
Icing sugar, to serve
Michel Roux's Vanilla and Mango Soufflés with Passion Fruit Coulis
Ingredients
40g softened butter, to grease dishes
40g caster sugar, to coat dishes
8 medium egg whites
80g caster sugar
1 very ripe mango, about 400g, peeled, stoned and finely diced
40g softened butter, to grease dishes
40g caster sugar, to coat dishes
8 medium egg whites
80g caster sugar
1 very ripe mango, about 400g, peeled, stoned and finely diced
James Martin's Passion fruit soufflé with passion fruit jelly and ice cream
Ingredients
For the ice cream
400ml/14fl oz milk
8 free-range egg yolks
200g/7oz caster sugar
400ml/14fl oz double cream
8 passion fruit, seeds scooped out
For the ice cream
400ml/14fl oz milk
8 free-range egg yolks
200g/7oz caster sugar
400ml/14fl oz double cream
8 passion fruit, seeds scooped out
Paul Heathcote's fool proof hot raspberry soufflé
Ingredients
250g/9oz raspberries
4 eggs, whites only
100g/4oz caster sugar
juice of half a lemon
½ tsp cornflour, lightly dissolved in a few spoonfuls of water
250g/9oz raspberries
4 eggs, whites only
100g/4oz caster sugar
juice of half a lemon
½ tsp cornflour, lightly dissolved in a few spoonfuls of water
Ollie Fararr's Iced raspberry soufflé with a cinnamon straw
This is Ollie Fararr's dish from Master Chef : The Professionals. This is a no-cook version of a classic soufflé, which is set in the freezer to create an icy sweet treat.
Tony Fleming's Blackberry Soufflé
This is Tony Fleming's blackberry souffle dish for the TV series Britain's Best Dish. Tony and I discussed souffles at length following the show, and in part my mini souffle project is inspired by those conversation.