Soufflé

History

The earliest mention of the soufflé is attributed to French master cook Vincent de la Chapelle, circa the early eighteenth century. The development and popularization of the soufflé is usually traced to French chef Marie-Antoine Carême in the early nineteenth century.

Ingredients and preparation

Soufflés are typically prepared from two basic components:

1. a flavored crème pâtissière, cream sauce or béchamel, or a purée as the base
2. egg whites beaten to a soft peak

The base provides the flavor and the egg whites provide the "lift", or puffiness to the dish. Foods commonly used to flavor the base include herbs, cheese and vegetables for savory soufflés and jam, fruits, berries, chocolate, banana and lemon for dessert soufflés.

Soufflés are generally baked in individual ramekins of a few ounces or soufflé dishes of a few liters: these are typically glazed, flat-bottomed, round porcelain containers with unglazed bottoms, vertical or nearly vertical sides, and fluted exterior borders. The ramekin, or other baking vessel, may be coated with a thin film of butter to prevent the soufflé from sticking. Some preparations also include adding a coating of sugar, bread crumbs, or a grated hard cheese such as parmesan inside the ramekin in addition to the butter; some cooks believe this allows the soufflé to rise more easily.

After being cooked, a soufflé is puffed up and fluffy, and it will generally fall after 5 or 10 minutes (as risen dough does). It may be served with a sauce atop the soufflé, such as a sweet dessert sauce. When served, the top of a soufflé may be punctured with serving utensils to separate it into individual servings. This can also enable a sauce to integrate into the dish.

Variations

There are a number of both savory and sweet soufflé flavor variations. Savory soufflés often include cheese, and vegetables such as spinach, carrot and herbs, and may sometimes incorporate poultry, bacon, ham, or seafood for a more substantial dish. Sweet soufflés may be based on a chocolate or fruit sauce (lemon or raspberry, for example), and are often served with a dusting of powdered sugar. Frugal recipes sometimes emphasize the possibilities for making soufflés from leftovers.

Another variation is an ice cream soufflé, which combines a soufflé with ice cream. Fruit or a hot dessert sauce, such as chocolate sauce, may also be used.

In popular culture

Soufflés are frequently depicted in cartoons, comedies and children's programs as a source of humor. Often this involves a loud noise or poke causing the soufflé to collapse, evoking the dejection of the character being served the anticipated dessert.

Audrey Hepburn is tasked with preparing a soufflè in the film Sabrina while studying at culinary school.

In the popular science fiction television show Doctor Who, companion Clara Oswald's echo Oswin Oswald was known to the Doctor as "Soufflé Girl".

On the animated children's television series Arthur, the episode "Arthur's Family Feud" involves a ruined soufflé.

On the second season of HBO's series True Blood; Maryann Forrester (a Maenad and main antagonist of the season) created and served the "Hunter's soufflé" which had a range of ingredients including rabbit, vegetables flambéd and a human heart. The unsuspecting Tara Thornton and Benedict Talley subsequently fell under the maenad's spell after consuming the morbid dish.

In The Brady Bunch episode "Vote for Brady," Alice bakes a soufflé. Throughout, the kids make various noises, none of which are sufficient to deflate it. However, the moment it's done baking, Alice knocks over a cutting board and it falls, much to her disappointment.

The American competitive cooking reality show MasterChef frequently features soufflés in their Pressure Test.

The second Australian version of reality show The Amazing Race had the teams baking soufflés in a Roadblock when they visited Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.