![Tips](https://www.yiannislucacos.gr/sites/default/files/styles/menu_image/public/menuimage/_mg_0694_copy.jpg?itok=yZF622i0)
![How to prepare a soufflé (sweet or savory)](https://www.yiannislucacos.gr/sites/default/files/styles/head_image_960x600/public/1133souffle_1.jpg?itok=m74V88zF)
See how to prepare a soufflé, following the photos order.
-
Select a suitable container of the right size.
The bowls usually used for soufflés are porcelain ramekins.
The porcelain takes care of the aesthetic aspect since soufflés are cooked and served in the same dish.
The mixture must fill around ¾ of the ramekin. If you fill it any more, there is the danger of the mixture spilling out during cooking. If you fill it too little, the rising effect may be lost.
-
Prepare the ramekin.
Smear the interior surface with butter.
For savory soufflés sprinkle with a grated hard cheese (e.g., parmesan), and for sweet soufflés with sugar.
The butter helps the soufflé unstick from the sides of the bowl and the cheese or sugar help create a tasty and lightly crisp crust during cooking.
-
Preheat the oven to 170-180°C.
This is the ideal temperature for the correct synchronization between the rising and the cooking of the soufflé.
-
Prepare the base.
One must bear two things in mind during the preparation of the base.
- The first thing you need to do is ensure the base is particularly flavorsome so as to counterbalance the presence of the tasteless egg whites and air.
- The second is the consistency of the base which must be like a thick cream.
-
Beat the egg whites, to create a stiff and shiny meringue.
-
Incorporate the egg whites into the base mixture aiming, on the one hand, to homogenize the two mixtures as well as possible and, on the other, to lose as little air as possible.
You must remember to allow the base to cool before incorporating the egg whites.
Begin by adding ¼ of the meringue to the base and mix quickly with a whisk. This process lightens the consistency of the base so that the rest of the meringue can be incorporated easier.
Continue adding the meringue in quarters, stirring slowly in a steady, circular motion with a spatula.
-
Fill the ramekin and bake.
Cooking time depends on the size of the ramekin.
Also, a soufflé’s degree of cooking is a matter of personal taste and entirely subjective.
As a general rule one could say that the soufflé must have risen sufficiently, formed a light crust on the outside and, when pricked with a toothpick, the mixture appears almost, but not entirely, dry.