Weekend Dessert: Decadent Raspberry Soufflé

We happen to agree with the great Chef Ramsay that soufflés rock, and so we turn to Wilson Mak to make one for us.
By Wilson Mak

Soufflé is easily everyone’s favorite choice when it comes to dessert.  The world renowned chef Gordon Ramsay always refers it as the number one show-off dessert. I can’t agree more with chef Ramsay, as I love the crisp top and slightly moist texture of the soufflé.  I am going to share with you Gordon Ramsay’s raspberry soufflé.  The use of amaretti biscuit is genius as aside from absorbing the alcohol, the biscuits also give a crunchy texture to the soufflé.

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Recipe modified from Channel4 – F Word

[ Serves 4 x 150ml dishes ]

Ingredients

• 400g ( 0.88 lbs ) raspberries
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 100g ( 2/5 cups ) caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod, split
• 1 quantity crème pâtissière
• 2 large egg whites
• Icing sugar to dust

For the crème pâtissière

• 150 ml ( 10 tbsp ) milk
• 100ml ( 7 tbsp ) double cream / whipping cream
• 20g ( 1½ tbsp )plain flour
• 15g ( 1 tbsp )cornflour
• 3 free range large egg yolks
• 40g ( 3 tbsp )caster sugar
• 3-4 amaretti biscuits
• 1 tablespoon Eau de Vie (raspberry liqueur)
• 80g ( 0.17 lbs )fresh raspberries, lightly crushed

For the dishes

• 40g ( 3 tbsp ) unsalted butter, melted
• 4-6 tbsp granulated sugar or grated dark chocolate

METHOD

1. Although we need to bake the soufflé at 180°C / 356°F, pre-heat the oven to 190°C / 374°F instead of 180°C / 356°F as the temperature will drop when we open the oven door and put the soufflé in.

2. Brush 4 deep ramekins with a generous layer of soft butter, using upward strokes. Make sure that your ramekins are dry before you apply the butter. Once the butter set, dust the insides either with granulated sugar or the grated chocolate and chill to set. Keep the ramekins in the fridge for 5 minutes for the butter to solidify.

3. The crème patissière can be made two to three days before and keep them in the fridge and take it out when you need it. For the crème patissière base, heat the milk and cream in a heavy-based saucepan until almost boiling. Sift the flour and cornflour together. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl, then mix in the flour. This is the secret, add a splash of the hot creamy milk and whisk well until the mixture is smooth, then gradually whisk in the rest of the milk. Pour back into the pan and whisk over a medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes until thickened and smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin forming.

4. Put the raspberries in a saucepan with half the caster sugar, the vanilla pod and seeds and heat slowly, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes until the fruit has softened into a puree. Sieve the puree through a sieve, pushing it through with the back of a ladle. Discard the raspberry seeds and vanilla pod and leave the puree to cool. Mix the raspberry puree into the crème patissière.

5. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl to firm peaks, then gradually whisk in the 50g caster sugar a spoonful at a time to make a firm, glossy meringue. Whisk a third of the meringue into the crème patissière base, then very carefully fold in the rest, using a large metal spoon or spatula.

6. Soak some raspberries with the raspberry liqueur in a bowl.

7. Place the marinated raspberries into the bottom of each prepared ramekins and add some crushed amarreti biscuit on top of it. Prepare a tablecloth and fold it into four. Fill in each ramekin with the soufflé mix to half-full then tap them on top of the table cloth in order to make all the mixture goes to the bottom of the ramekin so that the soufflé will rise up evenly.

Smooth the tops with a palette knife, and then run a little circle around the ramekin with your thumb (this helps the soufflé from hanging over the side as it starts to rise ). Sit the ramekins on a wide baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes until well risen and lightly golden on top. The soufflés should wobble gently in the middle when ready, dust with icing sugar and serve at once.