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From our friends at Duck Duck Goose...
Bastille Day is Friday, July 14th and another French revolution is underway. Like the original in 1789 that replaced the monarchy and put the country back in the hands of the people, this one takes the power away from the historically difficult-to-prepare soufflé. For centuries, this French masterpiece has caused angst and anger among chefs who dared to try to get the whipped egg and air laden dish to keep from collapsing. Until now, with a simple recipe that isn't a royal pain.
Rising culinary star and owner of Duck Duck Goose in Bethesda, Chef Ashish Alfred just introduced a fresh take on the classic French dessert to his restaurant's contemporary menu. Instead of using old recipes with difficult techniques, Chef's Alfred's bittersweet chocolate soufflé has just five ingredients. In other words, it's revolutionary. So easy to prepare, even a kitchen novice will celebrate creating this Bastille Day treat.
Here's the recipe:
Bittersweet Chocolate Soufflé
• 6 oz of dark chocolate
• 1 TBSP butter
• 3 eggs
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
Simmer a half inch of water in a pot. Add the dark chocolate to a separate pot and place it on top of the simmering water to melt the chocolate. Keep the chocolate melting on low heat, stirring occasionally.
While the chocolate is melting, use a pastry brush to lightly butter the insides of the soufflé molds.
After coating the bottoms, coat the sides using upward brush strokes to signal the soufflé to rise. After buttering the molds, coat them with sugar and tap out the excess.
Once chocolate is melted and smooth, remove it from the heat. Add 2 tsp of vanilla extract and 3 egg yolks to the chocolate.
In a separate bowl - beat the egg whites on low to break them up. Add 1 tsp of kosher salt to the egg whites, and increase the mixer's speed. Once the eggs have a little bit of volume, add the sugar. Whip until the egg whites are stiff and glossy but not dry. Fold in one-third of the chocolate mixture. Then fold in the rest.
Overfill the molds and then level the soufflé. Add the excess mix back into the bowl and then tap the molds to get rid of any bubbles. Add a final sprinkle of sugar to the top.
Put the soufflés in the oven at 425°F for an initial blast of heat to help them rise and then immediately lower the temperature to 400°F. Bake for 14 minutes and serve immediately.
Recipe makes 4 individual soufflés.
FYI: Southern Living Magazine recently selected Duck Duck Goose as the best restaurant in Maryland. OnTap Magazine includes it in its list of Top Spots with Staying Power. See what the buzz is about on Instagram at @ddgbethesda.
