Summer Menu in the Winter: Salmon Souffle
I wanted to post something new today to balance out THREE molten chocolate cake posts over the course of a week, and I've had this on the menu plan since the weekend. (My plans for home made pizza have been pushed back too.)
We've had so much snow this winter that it's getting a bit depressing. In fact, it snowed, yet again, earlier in the week. In protest, I decided to make a meal that's more suited to a sunny, summer day.
Note that the salmon used for the souffle came from an earlier post. I froze away two 4-oz portions of the cooked salmon and rather than two meals, each of the portions of salmon could make FOUR souffles. The grated cheese (Swiss) for this recipe came from the freezer.
Salmon souffle dinner - souffle, salad and blackberry lemonade (basic lemonade recipe with a squirt or two of blackberry coulis made earlier)
The traditional souffle recipe requires you to separate the egg yolks and whites, beat the latter to stiff peaks, and then fold the beaten whites into the souffle mixture. I've never done that and, even if my finished souffle may not be as high, it tastes just as good, as the traditional version ... and you can make it the day before and refrigerate it until you're ready to bake and serve it.
Salmon Souffle (adaptation of Jacques Pepin's Basic Cheese Souffle) - serves 2
2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more to butter 2 ramekins
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2/3 cups cold whole (homogenized) milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
2 oz (~2/3 cup) grated Swiss cheese (preferably Gruyere but Fontina, Edam or Gouda are also good)
2 oz baked salmon, flaked
1/8 tsp dried dill weed (use 1/2-1 tsp of finely chopped fresh dill if you have it)
pinch of nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. (I used 375 degrees F.)
Butter 2 x 1 cup ramekins, and set aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then add the flour, and mix it in well with a whisk. Cook for about 10 seconds, and then add all the milk at once, and whisk it in.
Keep stirring with the whisk until the mixture thickens and comes to a strong boil, which will take about 2 minutes. It should be thick and smooth. Remove from the heat, and stir in the salt, pepper, dill weed and nutmeg. Allow about 10 minutes for the white sauce to cool.
White Sauce
Meanwhile, break the eggs into a bowl, and beat well with a fork. Whisk the eggs into the cooled white sauce until you get a homogenous mixture. With a spatula stir in the cheese and the flaked salmon, and mix well to combine. Pour half of the mixture into each of the buttered ramekins.
Bake immediately, or set aside until ready to bake. (Cover each ramekin with saran wrap and refrigerate if making the day before.)
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the souffle is puffy and well browned on top. Although it will stay inflated for a while, it is best served immediately.
Depending on your oven, you might want to start checking a few minutes before the earliest time given.
Inside the souffle - you can see how moist and creamy the interior is
Another shot of the interior of the souffle
We've had so much snow this winter that it's getting a bit depressing. In fact, it snowed, yet again, earlier in the week. In protest, I decided to make a meal that's more suited to a sunny, summer day.
Note that the salmon used for the souffle came from an earlier post. I froze away two 4-oz portions of the cooked salmon and rather than two meals, each of the portions of salmon could make FOUR souffles. The grated cheese (Swiss) for this recipe came from the freezer.
Salmon souffle dinner - souffle, salad and blackberry lemonade (basic lemonade recipe with a squirt or two of blackberry coulis made earlier)
The traditional souffle recipe requires you to separate the egg yolks and whites, beat the latter to stiff peaks, and then fold the beaten whites into the souffle mixture. I've never done that and, even if my finished souffle may not be as high, it tastes just as good, as the traditional version ... and you can make it the day before and refrigerate it until you're ready to bake and serve it.
Salmon Souffle (adaptation of Jacques Pepin's Basic Cheese Souffle) - serves 2
2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more to butter 2 ramekins
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2/3 cups cold whole (homogenized) milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
2 oz (~2/3 cup) grated Swiss cheese (preferably Gruyere but Fontina, Edam or Gouda are also good)
2 oz baked salmon, flaked
1/8 tsp dried dill weed (use 1/2-1 tsp of finely chopped fresh dill if you have it)
pinch of nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. (I used 375 degrees F.)
Butter 2 x 1 cup ramekins, and set aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then add the flour, and mix it in well with a whisk. Cook for about 10 seconds, and then add all the milk at once, and whisk it in.
Keep stirring with the whisk until the mixture thickens and comes to a strong boil, which will take about 2 minutes. It should be thick and smooth. Remove from the heat, and stir in the salt, pepper, dill weed and nutmeg. Allow about 10 minutes for the white sauce to cool.
White Sauce
Meanwhile, break the eggs into a bowl, and beat well with a fork. Whisk the eggs into the cooled white sauce until you get a homogenous mixture. With a spatula stir in the cheese and the flaked salmon, and mix well to combine. Pour half of the mixture into each of the buttered ramekins.
Bake immediately, or set aside until ready to bake. (Cover each ramekin with saran wrap and refrigerate if making the day before.)
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the souffle is puffy and well browned on top. Although it will stay inflated for a while, it is best served immediately.
Depending on your oven, you might want to start checking a few minutes before the earliest time given.
Inside the souffle - you can see how moist and creamy the interior is
Another shot of the interior of the souffle