I seem to be on a fruitless mission to get people to try making double-baked soufflés as evidenced here, because they are deceptively easy to make, freeze well (pre-second bake), look a bit fancy and taste bloody delicious. All you’re doing is making a cheese sauce, then folding in some whipped egg whites and a filling – it is honestly that simple! Maybe one day someone will give them a crack, and my mission will be complete.
I’ve just enjoyed the most deliciously cruisy weekend, despite the weird weather. PD stayed Friday night – and made a delicious light dinner of straciatella topped with sweet baby tomatoes, basil leaves and lemon and fennel oil, while beleaguered by a sniffle. We still managed a dip on Saturday morning before he headed off to spend time with his kids, and I had a wonderful afternoon (said with not a whisper of irony) mowing the lawn, trimming the buxus balls in my front garden and listening to the podcast Movies To Be Buried With by the delightful Brett Goldstein. The evening was spent having a lovely long drinks Teams catch up with Netsky and Andy (on Waiheke). Today I headed out for a big walk then had big chats with both Pog and Hoob and this afternoon headed into the wild and stormy sea with my darling sister, her husband and youngest son, Rue. And now I’ve just poured myself a Campari and soda and will snuggle in with an evening watching The Tunnel. Does it get any better?
I bloody love a simple life.
400g pumpkin, chopped into 4cm cubes
6 sage leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic
50g butter
320ml whole milk
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 egg yolks
200g finely grated Gruyere cheese
5 egg whites
300mls cream
Fried sage leaves to serve (Heat olive oil over a high heat and fry well dried fresh sage leaves for a few minutes, drain on paper towels)
Preheat the oven to 180˚C fan bake
Grease and line the bases of 6 x 1 1/4 cup capacity ramekins with baking paper. Put the pumpkin and sage leaves in a roasting dish, drizzle with olive oil, season well with salt and pepper and roast for 15 minutes then add the garlic and roast a further 15 minutes. Cool then whiz to a pureé, including the sage leaves. Melt the butter in a large, deep frying pan. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Cook for 1 minute, then add half of the milk, whisk to combine then add remaining milk and stir again until smooth. Cook for 6-7 minutes until thickened, stirring. (This can also be done in a large jug in the microwave). Add the bay leaf and remove from the heat, cool for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and whisk in the nutmeg and egg yolks and half of the grated cheese. Refrigerate to cool for an hour then fold in the pumpkin pureé. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt to medium firm peak stage. Take 1/2 cup of the egg whites and fold into the pumpkin mixture to loosen. Add the remaining egg whites and gently fold together.
Divide the mixture between the prepared ramekins and place into a roasting dish. Pour very hot water into the roasting dish, coming half way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 25 minutes until soufflés are risen and lightly golden. (Do not panic if they are slightly one-sided or even a bit explody at the top – they will be fine!) Remove the ramekins from the roasting dish and allow to cool for an hour – they will deflate and settle down. Once cool run a small knife carefully around the inside of the ramekins to release the soufflés slightly, and tip out onto a storage container. Soufflés can be prepared to this point and refrigerated the day before serving, or frozen and defrosted overnight in the fridge before finishing off.
Preheat the oven to 190C fan bake.
When ready to cook, put the soufflés in a roasting pan or individual oven proof dishes. Sprinkle them with the remaining Gruyere and pour over the cream (50ml each). Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the soufflés are lightly puffed, golden and delicious, switch the heat source to grill for the last minute (keeping an eagle eye on them!) to ensure a golden bubbling top. Serve with remaining cream drizzled around the base, a sprinkling of fried sage leaves and a small bitter green salad.
Serves 6