RCP: Jacques Pepin's Mother's Souffle

[Jenise]

You may know about this recipe since many have apparently discovered it, even Amanda Hesser's Food52 where they name it a 'Genius' recipe. Indeed it is--all those time-dependent and complicated separate steps are pretty much gone. And all because Jacques' 17 year old mother, a newlywed at the time, didn't understand that you weren't supposed to do it this way. And now that I've had it, I don't think I ever want to do it any other.

This was served to us for lunch by a friend in British Columbia last week. Absolutely delicious! Serving 8, she made two large souffles in advance and put them into bake when she heard our tires on the gravel drive outside.

https://food52.com/recipes/82304-cheese-souffle-recipe

Indeed a great recipe. I have a version of it that is half that size and adds spinach.

Interesting. Souffle is not actually that complicated, but beating the egg whites does add some time/dishes/complications, so I'd be curious to see whether the added ease more than compensates for any slight reduction in airiness.

[Jenise]

Rahsaan, for me Kathy's souffles didn't lack airiness. The difference is very slight and if you didn't know it was expected to be less airy I don't think it would have crossed your mind. It didn't in my case. What Kathy described, and what I was interested in, was the ability to skip beating the eggwhites and mix everything in advance for baking off later. I sometimes serve souffles as a first-course and probably would more often if careful timing weren't an issue. What she made didn't seem lesser in any other way, just perhaps a tad wetter than mine usually are, and that I could have written off to a difference in the cheese.

...just perhaps a tad wetter than mine usually are...

That would have been my guess about how the unbeaten egg whites would act.

[Jenise]

Yes, but only a tad and these were large soufflees where I always make smaller, individual soufflees. At the time I presumed that and a possible variation in timing would explain any minor differences.

I second the review - the souffles were superb.

Now - what do you think would be the best wine match?

[Jenise]

Left to my own devices I'd have gone straight to a white Burgundy but honestly, almost any white wine would show well. As would an aged pinot noir.

Hungarian Bull's Blood, with a chaser of ouzo.