Ham and Cheese Souffle

Ham and Cheese Souffle

Pre heat oven to 220C

Souffle - A French word which literally means "puffed up," is a culinary term in both French and English (and used in many other languages) for a light, frothy dish, just stiff enough to hold its shape, and which may be savory or sweet, hot or cold .Beauvilliers was making souffles possibly as early as 1782 (though he did not publish his L'Art du cuisinier until 1814). 

This was my first and only attempt at making a hot souffle - I was nervous as hell but in the end , thrilled by the result  . Here is the recipe , and I hope you make it too .

Rule 1 -Whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl . Don't use a plastic bowl as plastic often harbor traces of grease which interferes with the formation of foam .

Rule 2- Cold eggs separate more easily than those at room temperature because the whites hold together better.

Rule 3 - A hot souffle will wait for nobody ! Don't let it stand too long ( though a dash of lemon juice helps overcome the 'sinking ' problem as does a dash of Cream of Tartar .

Rule 4 - Don't let making a souffle intimidate you - as it did me through all my decades of cooking - go for it !

Grease your oven proof dish , sprinkle flour lightly - not evenly on the sides and bottom .

Keep all ingredients that can be chopped / shredded / prepared in advance ready . The reason is that once you start your souffle you don't stop even to breathe ( ! ) till you have it in the oven !

Ingredients :

100 Grams Ham - chopped fine / minced .

100 Grams Matured Cheddar Cheese - grated.

25 Grams Parmesan - grated .

50 Grams Flour.

50 Grams Butter.

250 Ml Milk.

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice .

4 Eggs - Carefully separate them , don't even a drop of the yoke into the whites .

Herbs if you like . I feel with this recipe and it's strong flavors of ham and cheese you wont need any herbs.

Paprika and /or Crushed Black Pepper .

No salt as the ham and cheese are salty enough .

 Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then gradually add the flour stirring constantly to not allow lumps to form - do not to let it brown !  Reduce the heat and gradually whisk in the milk; stir until you have a thick but flowing white sauce . Remove pan from the heat. 

Now , whisk in the egg yokes , then the cheeses and ham and lemon juice . Taste the batter , it should be a dash more salty than you would like it to . That's because you are now also about to introduce in 4 egg whites whisked - light and frothy !

Whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until they form stiff peaks, then mix 2 tablespoons of the whisked  egg white into the sauce. Carefully fold in the remaining egg white, making sure not to over-mix it. Gently fold - some egg whites wont be mixed with the sauce which is fine . Keep movement minimum .

Spoon in the mixture into the dish / individual bouillon bowl , and bake for 13-15 minutes . DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN WHILE BAKING !

Serve immediately . I hope the rest of your menu is as exotic , because after this superb dish , most other stuff pales !

Bon appetit !

Snow peas and Green beans salad in coconut reduction:

Ingredients:

String beans and snow peas .
1 onion sliced long and very thin - fried dark brown and crisp.
10 cloves of garlic sliced long and thin and fried till they too are dark brown.
3-4 table spoons of finely crushed peanuts - keep a few half / whole too if you like .

1 stick of galanga - pref the fresh one soaking in 1 cup coconut milk .

Keep iced water ready at hand .

In a large pan of boiling hot water which has 1 teaspoon of sugar , throw in the beans . Wait 10 seconds , add the snow peas and take out and strain at once .
Cool under running water and plunge into iced water to chill and prevent further cooking.

Coconut reduction / dressing
1 cup/can Coconut milk with a stick of galanga soaking in it for an hour or longer .
3-4 table spoons crushed peanuts
salt to taste .

Over low heat simmer the coconut milk until it thickens and is roughly half the quantity . When the coconut milk has reduced to half add the crushed peanuts . Cool down the dressing . You may or may not need salt .

Plate the greens which should be crunchy . Dress with the coconut reduction . Chill the salad covered with cling wrap.
Before serving sprinkle the crispy fried garlic and onions .

Mushroom and Green Beans Salad

Mushroom and Green Beans Salad 1 packet fresh mushrooms - about 15-20 pieces 200 grams Green beans The Dressing : 2 tablespoon of a strong granular mustard 2 tablespoon of Mayonnaise / curd salt Slice mushrooms - slightly thickish . String beans and diagonally slice - each piece about 1 inch long . Keep very cold iced water ready in a pan In boiling water which has 1 teaspoon of sugar plunge the beans . 20 seconds later throw in the sliced mushrooms. Take a deep breath not more than 10 seconds - drain mushrooms and beans . Run water over them Then plunge into the chilled water . After 10 minutes drain the mushrooms and beans , no water should remain. Mix the dressing ingredients in a bowl . When well mixed add the beans and mushrooms. Gently mix so that the salad dressing is evenly coated on the beans and mushrooms. adjust salt / mustard etc. Serve chilled . This is a delicious and very quick salad , using no ' special ' ingredients .