Experiments in the Culinary Arts

Skillet Lemon Soufflé

My first attempt fell flat.  Apparently egg whites are the most finicky substance on earth; should any kind of oil and/or foreign substance (including fingers) make contact with the egg whites at any point in the process, they refuse to rise.  Also: when the recipe states to add the sugar slowly, it means slowly.  The egg whites take about four times as long to peak--and they don't ever firm up as much as they would otherwise--if you add the sugar in large quantities at the beginning. However, once I got past that... the souffle was actually quite good and not terribly difficult. 

The lemon zest was obnoxious to obtain, but lovely to look at; I became exceedingly fond of it by the time I finished.  I did not have an oven friendly skillet, thus I used a 10" cake tin which worked just as well.  The first picture is taken about five minutes after I pulled it out of the oven.  I was braced for my second disappointment when I saw it begin to collapse; fortunately, it is supposed to happen thus no need for alarm.  When souffles are served in restaurants, the souffle if brought to the table straight from the oven whereupon a small hole is made in the center; this 'collapses' the souffle which is then ready for consumption.

Serves 6.   Published September 1, 2009.   From Cook's Illustrated.

Don’t open the oven door during the first seven minutes of baking, but do check the soufflé regularly for doneness during the final few minutes in the oven. Be ready to serve the soufflé immediately after removing it from the oven. A 10-inch skillet is essential to getting the right texture and height.

Ingredients

5	large eggs , separated
1/4	teaspoon cream of tartar
2/3	cup granulated sugar (4 3/4 ounces)
1/8	teaspoon table salt
1/3	cup juice and 1 teaspoon grated zest from 2 to 3 lemons
2	tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1	tablespoon unsalted butter
	Confectioners' sugar , for dusting

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Using stand mixer, whip egg whites and cream of tartar together on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Slowly add 1/3 cup sugar and salt, then increase speed to medium-high and continue to whip until stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes. Gently transfer whites to clean bowl and set aside.
   
   
2. Using stand mixer (no need to wash mixing bowl), whip yolks and remaining 1/3 cup sugar together on medium-high speed until pale and thick, about 1 minute. Whip in lemon juice, zest, and flour until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
   
   
3. Whisk ¼ of whipped egg whites into yolk mixture until almost no white streaks remain. Gently fold in remaining egg whites until just incorporated.
   
   
4. Melt butter in 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-low heat. Swirl pan to coat evenly with melted butter, then gently scrape soufflé batter into skillet and cook until edges begin to set and bubble slightly, about 2 minutes.
   
   
5.  Transfer skillet to oven and bake soufflé until puffed, center jiggles slightly when shaken, and surface is golden, 7 to 11 minutes. Using potholder (skillet handle will be hot), remove skillet from oven. Dust soufflé with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately.