ECLECTIC WRITER

Rising to the Occasion

Don't be intimidated by soufflé's touchy reputation !

Soufflés look impressive - elegant, light and puffy brought steaming from the oven. Unfortunately, they have a reputation for being complicated, difficult and downright temperamental.

But it's just not true !

If you have ever whisked up egg whites for a meringue or whipped cream to top your strawberries, you can make a soufflé. Granted, the process requires a little more attention, but the results will be well worth it in the end.

Soufflé literally means "puffed up." A flavoured sauce base and stiffly beaten egg whites are the basic components. But there's a third ingredient in baked soufflés which is not mentioned in many recipes - air. It's the air trapped inside the soufflé that causes it to puff up. This is why most baked soufflés must be served straight from the oven. Otherwise, the escaping air will cause the soufflé to deflate, making your worst culinary nightmares come true.

The savory soufflé is a combination of egg whites folded into a white (bechamel) sauce, combined with egg yolks and other flavourings such as grated cheese, vegetables or ham.

Dessert soufflés can showcase fruits, liqueurs or chocolate.It's as important to pay attention to the preparation of the soufflé dish as it is to preparing the soufflé itself. Whether you're using individual ramekins or one large dish, you must butter the bottom and sides generously.

As for eggs, fresh is not always the best for a successful soufflé. However, temperature matters. Bring eggs to room temperature before working with them.

Egg whites increase their volume most when they're whisked at room temperature.Use an impeccably clean, dry bowl and check to see that there is no trace of yolk on the whites. With an electric beater, start on slow speed until whites begin to foam and increase the speed gradually.

Stop beating when the whites look shiny and smooth, and hold soft peaks when you lift the beaters. At this stage, add sugar (if called for) slowly and continue beating until you get peaks which are stiff but not dry.

The yolks should be whipped separately to a ribbon state. That means when you lift the beaters over the bowl, you should see pale yellow ribbons forming a trail.

Now you can combine the flavour of your choice with the base. If you're using fruit puree, be sure the puree is not too wet.

If you're making a chocolate soufflé, the melted chocolate should be cooled enough so it doesn't cook the yolks or deflate the beaten whites whenit's folded into them.There are no secrets to making a soufflé.

Once you master the principle behind it you'll probably agree that soufflés aren't half the challenge many fear they are. In fact, one of the best things about a soufflé is that it can be prepared, assembled and frozen for up to a week, and then placed right into the oven as your guests sit down for dinner.

By the end of dinner, voilà: a warm, towering finale that commands "Oohs!" and "Wows!"The simple steps for making a sweet or savoury soufflé are outlined by Madeleine Kamman (author of "When the French Women Cook") and James Peterson (2003 James Beard Award winner, "Glorious French Food").

Preheat the oven - Peterson suggests preheating the oven to the desired temperature 15 minutes before using and as soon as the soufflé is in the oven, raising the temperature by 25 degrees to give the soufflé a little "push."Butter the soufflé dish - Sprinkle dish with breadcrumbs or sugar, depending on the recipe.

Cook the base, usually a white sauce (bechamel); add egg yolks one at a time, whisking well.Adjust seasoning. Base should be highly seasoned as the egg whites are quite bland.

Beat egg whites and fold one-quarter of them into cooled base to lighten it. Fold in remaining whites carefully.

Bake soufflé on the lowest rack of the oven.If you own a convection oven, turn off the convection option. The circulating warm air will cause the soufflé to rise initially, but it will flatten long before it's cooked properly.

There are no secrets to making a soufflé. Once you master the principle behind it you'll probably agree that soufflés aren't half the challenge many fear they are.