I get it.
Soufflés are scary. They are.
Pop culture ruined the soufflé for us with images of deflated cooks serving deflated dishes to deflated guests. Well, I am here to change that. Contrary to public opinion, soufflés are easy, delicious, and do not need to be perfect. However, the world (and the French) have made us American home cooks believe that we are merely setting ourselves up for failure if we try to make a soufflé of any kind. Here’s the best advice I can give you on this matter:
1. Practice on your loved ones. The pizza delivery man is only a phone call away.
2. Follow a good recipe to a tee the first time (the Joy of Cooking has several). Once you are comfortable with the technique, add variations to your heart’s content.
3. All of the ingredients you put into the soufflé taste good together, so even if it isn’t perfectly beautiful, it will be delicious.
The pic above is a souffle I made with Gruyere cheese and frozen spinach, which turned out quite well, I must say, in spite of being a little overcooked. I find savory soufflés more appealing that sweet ones, but anyone who knows me will not be surprised by this. Try making one for a weekend lunch and serve it with a mixed green salad dressed with a simple vinaigrette. A chilled, crisp, un-oaked Chardonnay would be a most welcome accompaniment.
Feel free to post questions here before you start. Knowledge is power in battle soufflé.
Shallots Web 