Souffle

Sometimes it's the simple things in life. The crackling fire, sun in the face, a good glass of wine. For me, it was eggs this week. One of the most primitive yet elemental of foods, eggs are often over-looked because of the fact that they are so pervasive and ubiquitous. Eggs are used in things; in cakes, cookies, cornbread. Occasionally they play the starring role on a Sunday morning plate where they are scrambled or neatly arranged in an omelette. Rarely, outside of breakfast, are eggs exploited for their true, hidden talents. They are amazingly versatile, for one. They can add complexity to an Asian noodle dish as well as whip up to great heights for a luscious meringue. Eggs also add needed fat and protein to many foods. Without them, cookies would be hard as rocks and pancakes would taste like paper.

We often take these amazing egg qualities for granted, and perhaps for good reason. The normal, run-of-the-mill grocery store egg is nothing to write home about. While it does have the same general abilities and qualities previously mentioned, on its own it is nothing outstanding. Compared to a "farm" egg, these grocery store wanna-be's are often, thin, flaccid, and lacking in flavor and color. We used to have a few chickens at our house when I was growing up. One of them even laid bright, aqua-green eggs. While I can't profess to remembering the flavor of these green eggs, I do remember that the yolks were a deep, golden orange, unlike anything I had previously encountered. As an adult, the most truly authentic "farm" egg experience I have had came when visiting friends in Olalla, WA who had their own chickens. These eggs too had intensely deep colored yolks and oh, the flavor! Rather than just being a vehicle for other tastes (like butter, bacon, etc.) these eggs were rich with their own "eggness". A truly different experience from store-bought eggs.

After reading Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma (see "Happy Cows, October 9), I have come to realize that just like beef, not all eggs are created equal. Even those claiming to be "cage-free" or "free-range" might not necessarily fit into our ideal of pastured animals roaming peacefully in a field. And in fact, many of the organic, cage-free eggs that I do buy don't end up tasting all that different from traditional grocery store eggs. So I was pleasantly surprised last week when I cracked open an egg that I brought home from the market (see "The Fullness of Fall, October 23) and its yolk nearly glowed with color. Not only that, but they made the most amazing scrambled eggs the next Sunday. The eggs were from Alm Hill Gardens, a farm north of Seattle in Everson which is, apparently, just a few miles from Canada. So what else could I do but go back and buy some more this week? I scooped up the last dozen they had (after only an hour of being open, mind you), bought some local cheese from Appel Farms and headed home to make a souffle.

While souffles may sound intimidating to make, they are really quite simple and fool-proof if you follow a few basic steps. After you've made the basic mix, all you have to do is add any combination of cheese, meats, or other goodies to your liking. The extras can also be frozen, which is what we used to do with our standard chocolate souffles that were always on the menu at the Seattle Golf Club when I worked there as the pastry chef. Just spoon the raw souffle mix into its baking dish, cover, and freeze. To cook, remove the souffles from the freezer about 15 minutes before baking, then bake according to the directions, adding about 5-10 more minutes of cooking time.

Basic Cheese Souffle
Serves 4

2 Tbsp. butter, plus more for coating the ramekins
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. flour
3/4 cup milk
salt and cayenne to taste
3 large eggs, separated
1 cup coarsely grated cheese (I used Cumin-Gouda)
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly coat four, 1-cup ramekins with melted butter. Sprinkle about half of the parmesan along the sides of the ramekins.

Over a medium saucepan, melt the butter, then whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring continuously. Whisk in the milk, and continue stirring over low heat until all lumps are gone and the sauce becomes smooth and thick. Remove from the heat and add the salt and cayenne, then the yolks. Let cool slightly then add the cheese.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites at medium speed until frothy, then add the cream of tartar. Increase the speed to high and continue beating until firm peaks form. With a rubber spatula, fold the whites into the yolk mixture. Spoon the souffle mixture into the ramekins, making sure that it is centered and nothing is clinging to the sides. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top and bake for about 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately as they deflate incredibly fast.