Seafood Soufflé

Here's another simple standard which we've adapted for the Guardian Service Casserole/Tureen cooker. Soufflés have a reputation for being difficult, but nothing could be easier once you've mastered the basic technique.

SEAFOOD SOUFFLÉ
for the Guardian Service Casserole/Tureen Cooker

Easy, Economical, Elegant

A soufflé baked with this technique won't scale to the same lofty heights as one cooked in an open casserole, but the stove-top method conserves energy and still results in a frothy, if slightly denser, soufflé. The "waterless" approach results in more of a steamed mousse or timbale, a once ubiquitous offering at "ladies' luncheons" of yesteryear.

1/4 cup butter
2-4 tbsp minced onion or shallot
1/4 cup unsifted flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
4 eggs, separated, at room temperature
dash pepper sauce
10-12 oz canned tuna or salmon, drained and flaked
1 tbsp minced parsley
1 tbsp capers
1/2 tsp dill
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1. Melt butter in the GS Casserole unit over medium heat, add onion and fry for 3-5 minutes until tender.
2. Blend in flour and slowly add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Turn heat to low and add salt and pepper.
3. Beat egg yolks with a dash of hot sauce and add to mixture.
4. Heat and stir for 1-2 minutes, but do not allow to boil.
5. Remove from heat, add tuna, parsley, dill and capers and cover with a piece of wax paper to keep a skin from forming on the surface.
6. Preheat lidded Tureen unit while preparing the egg whites.
7. Whisk egg whites until they begin to foam (if you've got one, a copper bowl is ideal) , add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until they become stiff. Stir 1/4 cup of the egg whites into the mixture, then fold in remainder, careful not to overwork.
8. Lower the Casserole unit into pre-heated Tureen, replace lid and bake over medium heat (1/2 flame on gas ovens) for 45-50 minutes or until puffy and the center is cooked through. Optional: Use the stove-top browning technique (described in earlier posts and pictured below) to reflect heat back onto the crust.

For step-by-step photos of the process: Guardian Service Ware: Seafood Soufflé