In his 1903 worldwide known book, « Le Guide Culinaire » , August Escoffier (1846-1935) simplifies and modernizes Marie-Antoine Carême precepts. He therefore has defined modern french haute cuisine for at least a century.
His chocolate soufflé, though, isnt’t the one us sweet-toothed blessed are used to.
Recipe for a 4 servings chocolate soufflé with creamy appareil, the Escoffier way :
- 100 ml of milk
- 1/2 vanilla pod
- 30g bitter chocolate
- 35g of sugar
- 20g of starch
- 10g unsalted butter
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 firmly whipped eggs whites
- Boil milk, vanilla pod and sugar together.
- Add chocolate slowly, stirring continuously.
- Mix starch in a little milk and add to the mix.
- Let cook for 2 minutes then take it off the stove.
- Add butter, egg yolks and then whipped egg whites.
Soufflés have to be poured into buttered and sugar coated timbales. Cooking is done in a moderately hot oven, slowly : 5 minutes at 220°C then 15 minutes at 200°C.
If you so wish, you may pour a little powdered sugar on top of your soufflé to get it caramelized 2 minutes before cooking is over.
August adds then « Decor is optional, and in any case, it musn’t be over-done. ».
So, forget edible glitter.
Seriously.
Forget edible glitter.
And remember the one and only mandatory rule as far as soufflés are concerned : soufflé waits for no one !