Cauliflower Souffle with Brown Butter
Souffle.
Brown butter.
Three words which by their mere mention can create fear in the most fearless of cooks.
Souffles are so finnicky. If you look at them funny, they fall. Kind of like Goldilocks, you never know if they are just right until you taste them. They are sometimes runny and sometimes overcooked. If you accidentally hit the oven door with your knee, uh oh. And never mind trying to remove them from the oven and get them to the table. Egads. They just aren’t worth the effort.
OH DEAR. They so are. And if you follow a few simple steps, they shouldn’t cause one sweat gland to begin working overtime. (Stay tuned for tomorrow’s tips and tricks for fearless souffle making.)
And let’s not forget the brown butter. The key to brown butter is to not have the flames turned up so they are flicking out over the sides of the saucepan. Melt the butter over medium heat and let it work its magic. It will turn brown and nutty and oh so yummy.
Did I mention that it transforms this souffle from good to magical.
CAULIFLOWER SOUFFLE WITH BROWN BUTTER Gourmet Magazine May 2008
3 tbsp finely grated parmigiano reggiano
1 1/4 cups finely chopped cauliflower florets
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
white pepper to taste
1/2 stick butter
4 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
6 egg yolks
8 egg whites
1 stick butter (for browned butter)
Preheat oven to 400 with rack in the middle. Generously butter souffle dish, then sprinkle with cheese, knocking out excess.
Stir together cauliflower, parsley, 1/4 tsp salt and white pepper in large bowl.
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking, until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add milk a little at a time, whisking constantly until smooth. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking, then simmer until thick, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in the egg yolks, 1/4 tsp white pepper and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir into the cauliflower mixture.
Beat whites in a bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until they just hold stiff peaks (they should not look dry). Stir a heaping spoonful of whites into yolk mixture to lighten the mixture and then gently fold in the remaining whites until just combined.
Spoon into souffle dish and bake until golden brown about 35 to 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it turns golden with a nutlike fragrance and fleck on bottom pan turn a rich brown, about 6 mintues. Remove from heat.
Serve souffle immediately, drizzling with warm brown butter.
Post submitted to Gourmet Unbound and Magazine Mondays. Thanks ladies!
This looks so yummy! How warm and comforting and lovely. I have always been a bit afriad of souffles, but this looks easy enough. I wonder, if baked in individual ramakins, how much less might the baking time be?
Thanks Katie. If you use individual ramekins, 20 minutes is probably sufficient time. I am posting tips and tricks today so all future souffle making should be a breeze!
Children everywhere who do not like cauliflower should be made to read this post. Wow!
[...] Dawn of Doable and Delicious made Cauliflower Souffle with Brown Butter from the May 2008 issue of G… and Barley Salad from Cooking Light magazine. [...]
Ivonne, Too funny. A friend of my daughter ate it without knowing what it was. He was amazed when I told him what it was!