The Creeping Success of Souffle
Wow. I was walking through Bed Bath and Beyond yesterday and right there in front of me, like the Lady of the Lake (a tart handing out swords as a form of representative government), was a Kitchenaid 300W mixer on the clearance rack. To keep with the insipid Arthurian theme, it shone like the Grail as if upon it the light of God was revealed. I turned it around. $99!! Ok, settle down, see if anyone is watching me palpitate over this machine.
I grabbed it, blew the dust off and moved it to a lower shelf so I could get a closer look. Couple of scoffs, no big deal. Dust could be cleaned off. I don't need a manual to know how to run one of these, so that's not a big deal. It has a whisk attachment, but the label said it was missing parts, so I needed to determine what I was missing. I went over to the mixer section and found a similar floor model, intact I assume.
It had a mixing paddle in the bowl! Ok, how do I strategize this...do I take it and put it in the other bowl and make no reference to it? Am I forthcoming and tell them this paddle was from another floor model? "Well, that's why its clearance, innit? Don't suppose we'd go slashing prices in half if it had the mixing paddle. Guess now I can charge you full price, if you don't mind not getting a box and the manual and wrapping materials."
I decided to play it straight. I told the guy at the register I found the paddle in another floor model, and before I could finish my explanation -this is LA, after all- he waved it off with a who cares? I don't get paid enough to care. I liked his thinking.
So I walked out of there with a cool Kitchenaid for just over a hundred bucks. Of course, the first thing I do is go online to see if I got ripped because it's discontinued, or so unsafe people were getting their arms torn off, or improper use opened the 7th Seal, or something else just as apocalyptic. No! I got a good deal and, yes, half the cost.
Today I'm going to get a grinder attachment and sausage tube. The only hardship will be finding a local supplier of casing, but I could always track down a reputable moyel [insert rimshot here].
Last night I finally made a competent souffle because the mixer was able to beat nice stiff peaks with the egg whites. Previous manual attempts have all fallen, although they tasted good.
Bacon & Cheese souffle - for 2
3 tablespoons of gruyere, shredded
3 eggs - separated
nutmeg
salt/pepper
1 1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons flour
1 quarter onion
1 tablespoon shallot
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons butter
2 1 cup serving ramakins
2 strips bacon
Preheat oven to 375, liberally butter the ramakins.
First, make a thick sauce bechemel. Spike the bay leaf with the two clove spikes (not garlic, actual clove) onto the quarter onion. Place the onion in the milk and lightly simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Stir, make sure the milk doesn't scald. Remove from heat and strain the milk. Begin a roux with the four and butter. Make it blonde, cooking about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool for a minute or two. Slowly add the milk, bringing it back onto the heat. Add a little at a time at first to avoid lumps. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Salt/Pepper to taste.
Fry up the bacon and remove. Use the bacon grease to sautee the finely chopped shallots. Pour out 1/2 the bechemel in to another bowl. Add the shredded gruyere, three egg yolks, crumbled bacon and shallots. Add a pinch of salt.
Beat your eggs until you have stiff peaks, but not to meringue stage. Fold 1/4 into the mix. Follow the rest. This is important to be done carefully, the eggs will provide the lift needed. Carefully spoon into the ramakins.
You can cook in one of two ways. You can make a ban-marie using a pan with 1/2-1 inch sides. Fill it halfway with water and place the ramakins in the water. This method provides even cooking. You can also be reckless like me use tray and pray. Put them on a tray, put the tray in the oven.
Bake until risen, brown and the center set up, about 30 minutes, but cooking times will vary. Remove from the oven and hope it stays in the upright position. Eat straight, or you can make a complimentary sauce. I didn't make one, but a cheese sauce might not be bad, you can melt cheese and mix with cream in the microwave or on stovetop, if you like.
I grabbed it, blew the dust off and moved it to a lower shelf so I could get a closer look. Couple of scoffs, no big deal. Dust could be cleaned off. I don't need a manual to know how to run one of these, so that's not a big deal. It has a whisk attachment, but the label said it was missing parts, so I needed to determine what I was missing. I went over to the mixer section and found a similar floor model, intact I assume.
It had a mixing paddle in the bowl! Ok, how do I strategize this...do I take it and put it in the other bowl and make no reference to it? Am I forthcoming and tell them this paddle was from another floor model? "Well, that's why its clearance, innit? Don't suppose we'd go slashing prices in half if it had the mixing paddle. Guess now I can charge you full price, if you don't mind not getting a box and the manual and wrapping materials."
I decided to play it straight. I told the guy at the register I found the paddle in another floor model, and before I could finish my explanation -this is LA, after all- he waved it off with a who cares? I don't get paid enough to care. I liked his thinking.
So I walked out of there with a cool Kitchenaid for just over a hundred bucks. Of course, the first thing I do is go online to see if I got ripped because it's discontinued, or so unsafe people were getting their arms torn off, or improper use opened the 7th Seal, or something else just as apocalyptic. No! I got a good deal and, yes, half the cost.
Today I'm going to get a grinder attachment and sausage tube. The only hardship will be finding a local supplier of casing, but I could always track down a reputable moyel [insert rimshot here].
Last night I finally made a competent souffle because the mixer was able to beat nice stiff peaks with the egg whites. Previous manual attempts have all fallen, although they tasted good.
Bacon & Cheese souffle - for 2
3 tablespoons of gruyere, shredded
3 eggs - separated
nutmeg
salt/pepper
1 1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons flour
1 quarter onion
1 tablespoon shallot
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons butter
2 1 cup serving ramakins
2 strips bacon
Preheat oven to 375, liberally butter the ramakins.
First, make a thick sauce bechemel. Spike the bay leaf with the two clove spikes (not garlic, actual clove) onto the quarter onion. Place the onion in the milk and lightly simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Stir, make sure the milk doesn't scald. Remove from heat and strain the milk. Begin a roux with the four and butter. Make it blonde, cooking about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool for a minute or two. Slowly add the milk, bringing it back onto the heat. Add a little at a time at first to avoid lumps. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Salt/Pepper to taste.
Fry up the bacon and remove. Use the bacon grease to sautee the finely chopped shallots. Pour out 1/2 the bechemel in to another bowl. Add the shredded gruyere, three egg yolks, crumbled bacon and shallots. Add a pinch of salt.
Beat your eggs until you have stiff peaks, but not to meringue stage. Fold 1/4 into the mix. Follow the rest. This is important to be done carefully, the eggs will provide the lift needed. Carefully spoon into the ramakins.
You can cook in one of two ways. You can make a ban-marie using a pan with 1/2-1 inch sides. Fill it halfway with water and place the ramakins in the water. This method provides even cooking. You can also be reckless like me use tray and pray. Put them on a tray, put the tray in the oven.
Bake until risen, brown and the center set up, about 30 minutes, but cooking times will vary. Remove from the oven and hope it stays in the upright position. Eat straight, or you can make a complimentary sauce. I didn't make one, but a cheese sauce might not be bad, you can melt cheese and mix with cream in the microwave or on stovetop, if you like.
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