The best cooks will sometimes fail in making soufflees, as their manufacture requires the very greatest care and attention. It is also necessary to be able to judge to a nicety the time they will take to cook, because, to be eaten in perfection, they should be served directly they are ready. In making a soufflee, be very careful to take _exact_ measure of the different ingredients; a little too much flour, or rather too little milk, may make a great difference in the lightness of it. The flour should be the best Vienna.
Another point to be attended to is to whip up the whites of the eggs as stiffly as possible, and to mix them with the other ingredients very lightly. Bear in mind that the object in beating the whites of eggs is to introduce air into the soufflee; and it is the expansion of the air when the soufflee is cooking which makes it light. If the whites are mixed heavily with the other ingredients, the air which has been whipped into them is beaten out again; and consequently they fail to make the soufflee light. When the soufflee is firm in the middle, it is sufficiently cooked, and should be served with the greatest expedition, as it will begin to sink rapidly. An omelet soufflee, left in the oven two or three minutes over time, will be quite spoilt, and become tough and leathery.
Steamed soufflees are turned out of the tins they are cooked in, and served with a sauce poured round them.
Baked soufflees are served in the tins, which are slipped into a hot metal or silver case, or a napkin is folded round them.
Plain omelets are quickly made, and quickly spoiled. Some practice is required to make the plain omelet to perfection, as the art consists in folding the omelet just at the right moment, before the eggs used in them are too much set. The omelet should not be firm throughout, like a pancake, but should be moist and succulent in the middle. A very sharp fire is essential, and the omelet should not take more than three minutes in the making.
Steamed Soufflee.
_Ingredients_--1 oz. of butter.
1 oz. of flour.
pint of milk.
4 eggs.
2 dessertspoonfuls of castor sugar.
_Method._--Well grease a soufflee-tin with butter.
Fold a half sheet of kitchen paper in three.
Brush it over with melted butter, and fasten it round the top of the tin, letting it come nearly three inches above it.
Melt the butter in a small stewpan.
Mix in the flour smoothly.
Add the milk, and stir and cook well.
Mix in the sugar, and beat in the yolks of three of the eggs, one by one.
Add a little flavouring essence.
Beat the whites of four eggs to a stiff froth, and stir them in lightly.
Put the mixture at once into the tin.
Cover it with buttered paper, and steam carefully for half an hour.
When done, it will be firm in the middle.
Turn it quickly on to a hot dish, and serve at once, with wine sauce poured round it (_see_ Sauces).
Cheese Fondu.
_Ingredients_--1 oz. of butter.
oz. of flour.
pint of milk.
3 oz. of grated Parmesan cheese.
3 eggs.
A little pepper, salt, and Cayenne.
_Method._--Prepare the tin as for a steamed soufflee.
Melt the butter in a small stewpan.
Mix in the flour smoothly, add the milk, and stir and cook well.
Add the seasoning, and beat in the yolks of two of the eggs.
Then mix in the grated cheese.
Beat the whites of the three eggs to a stiff froth, and stir them in lightly.
Put the mixture at once into the tin, and bake for twenty-five or thirty minutes.
When done, it will be firm in the middle.
Serve in the tin, with a napkin folded round it.
Omelet Soufflee.
_Ingredients_--2 yolks and 3 whites of eggs.
1 dessertspoonful of castor sugar.
A little flavouring essence.
_Method._--Beat the yolks in a basin with the sugar, and add the essence.
Whip up the whites as stiffly as possible, and mix them lightly with the yolks.
Pour the mixture into a well-greased omelet-pan, and put it into a brisk oven for about three minutes, until of a pale-brown colour.
Turn it on to a hot dish.
Fold it over and serve quickly.
A Savoury Omelet Soufflee.
May be made by omitting the flavouring essence, and substituting pepper and salt for the sugar. The omelet should then be served with a rich gravy poured round it.
Cheese Ramequins.