Soufflé

A soufflé is a light baked dish of French origin, built on a béchamel or purée base enriched with egg yolks, with beaten egg whites folded in to give it lift. It can be savoury, served as a starter or main course, or sweet, as a dessert, and its appeal lies in the airy texture that forms as it bakes.

History

The word soufflé is the past participle of the French verb souffler, meaning to blow, breathe, inflate or puff, a clear reference to how the mixture rises in the oven. The earliest mention is attributed to the French master cook François Massialot in the early eighteenth century.

The development and popularisation of the soufflé are usually traced to the French chef Marie-Antoine Carême in the early nineteenth century. Among the dishes linked to him is the soufflé Rothschild, a sweet version named after James Mayer de Rothschild. Its original recipe included candied fruit macerated in Danziger Goldwasser, which later recipes replaced with kirsch, cognac or Grand Marnier.

Over time the dish travelled beyond France and was adapted to local ingredients and tastes, from cheese and vegetables to fruit and chocolate.

Culture

The soufflé is associated with restaurant cooking and with ambitious home cooking, and it has a strong link to French haute cuisine and to special occasions. Its success depends on timing: it leaves the oven well risen but starts to fall within minutes, so it is served at once before it deflates.

The most common savoury versions include cheese, vegetables or seafood, while sweet ones are made with chocolate, lemon, fruit or berries, with sugar added to the base. Traditionally it is baked in tall-sided dishes such as a large ramekin, and it may be topped with a sauce or served with ice cream or sorbet on the side.

Today there are also vegan versions, which replace the eggs with aquafaba or a mix of water and chickpea flour, and the animal cream with tofu or plant-based cream. They differ considerably from the traditional preparation, but keep the idea of a light, airy dish.