Modernist Pomme Souffle?

[ventre]

I have been trying to get a 100% success ratio on pomme souffle using untraditional pomme souffle methods but have come up empty handed.

First I tried blanching super thin slices of potatoes in 310F oil for ten seconds, then wiping off the excess oil and pressing two slices together and punching out the desired size and frying at 375F - failure. I read about this technique here http://strictlyfinedining.blogspot.com/2010/03/pomme-souffle.html

My second attempt was to start with the blanching technique then cutting out the desired shape and sealing the two slices with a hydrated methylcellulose solution at 3%. It's didn't work. I used F50 cause i thought it would create a stronger bind. Should I be using a different methylcellulose? If you have any ideas or help I would greatly appreciate it.

[ChrisZ]

Your heading caught my attention, but I haven't heard of pomme souffle before. Sounds interesting so I looked it up.

There's an entire page dedicated to pomme souffle in 'Modernist Cuisine' but there's nothing modernist about the ingredients or the technique. It may be the most conventional recipe in the entire set of books. It does say that the trick is to get the moisture content of the potato slices correct but there's no mention of any special modernist technique to do - no special equipment used, no molecular ingredients.

This could mean that experimenting with methylcellulose and other modernist ingredients and techniques is either unnecessary for pommes souffle, or that you may be the first to discover something really cool!

[Lisa Shock]

I don't have the book yet, and I was wondering why you're trying to glue potatoes together when the regular recipe for the dish works pretty well if directions are followed carefully?

My thought is that the seam isn't going to want to expand if it's glued really well together. After all, with a regular potato slice, the puff is caused by a lack of strength on the inside of the potato allowing air to expand within the shell of the 'toughened' outsides. It's a situation similar to what happens when you make pita bread.

[ventre]

I've made more than enough pomme souffles to understand how they work. The problem is that not all potatoes puff and I'm looking for a more sure/cost effective way. The reason I tried the f50 was because we use that solution on the restaruant to seal ravioli and it works great. My thought would be to seal the edges and allow the air to puff the potatoes but the seal always breaks. Look at the link I provided in my original post to see a different way. I have the modernist cusine book, the problem is I don't know how to check for moisture content in potatoes.

[Lisa Shock]

I don't know how to improve the seal, but, I do know that ravioli is very different from potatoes. The gluten/starch structure in semolina flour has much more structural integrity and flexibility than the starch/fiber of potato.

[TheTInCook]

Check out the cooking issues blog. Their two french fry posts detail some enzymatic treatments that might help. Some of them were discarded because they lead to 'hollow fries', but that seems to be the thing called for in pommes souffle.

I think the best bet is a \<1hr poach at 65 deg C. This would activate the native PME enzymes that strengthen the potato.

Wouldn't bother with laminating potato slices. It seems too finicky and failure prone.

[sqacre]

I worked a station which had pommes souffles on it and spent two hours a day preparing what would be consumed in one service. I followed the link you posted and I dont buy it. I do not believe that method will give you better results or be more cost effective. We did an equal amount of rectangle and oval pommes souffles on the dish the good ol fashion way. Rectangular do puff equally well. One thing that I did differently than the chef in the link did was I would have two pots of oil next to each other with the the different temperatures. When the potatoes started to blister in the low oil I would transfer to the hot oil and a few would puff perfectly and a few would be uneven. You immediately pull the perfect ones from the oil before they color and line them on a parchment covered sheet pan for service. At least that way during service you were guaranteed all perfect souffles.

I do hope you find a fool proof method and share it with us!!!

[Tuber magnatum]

I know the original post was how to bond two slices of potato together.  Nevertheless, I thought I would throw my two cents worth into the discussion on pommes soufflées.  

Ever since first experiencing pommes soufflées while dining at Restaurante Zalacaín in Madrid (2014), it became an obsession to learn how to make these at home. It was with excitement I read a recipe in Modernist Cuisine and thought it wouldn't be too difficult.  I was wrong. Indeed, Jacques Pépin in his New Complete Techniques book notes that even experienced chefs in a restaurant setting, may experience 15% -20% failure!

 

The first problem I encountered was with the recipe in MC.  It is clear that moisture content is key to reliable puffing (I am currently working on a hack of a wood moisture meter to allow me to measure this) but inconsistent information is given:

 

Volume 5 page 145 – “To ensure good puffing, the dry matter of the potato must be just right at around 19% - 20%.”  However, in

 

Volume 4 page 306 - "Fresh harvested potatoes will … have too much moisture to puff properly.  Potatoes that are so old that they have become soft … will be too dry… the ideal moisture content ranges from 12% - 18%.”  I think this is incorrect and they meant dry matter, as otherwise this would be one dried out potato!  (I contacted MC on this but didn't hear back).

 

Most everyone seems to use two pots, one at lower and the other at a higher temperature, but the temperatures suggested vary.  My experimenting suggests oil temperature is critical and that as suggested by Chef Rogers Powell, first fry should be at 300°F / 149°C  “max” as he says in his video.  I think what happens is if too hot on the first fry, the outside crisps so it can't expand on the second. Timing of the second fry is also critical and one needs to be patient for the “blistering” to occur before removing to second pot to puff.

 

Most everyone suggests 3-4mm slices (unless crinkle cut, then 9.5mm) However, what I finally realized after many failures, is that if cut perpendicular to the long axis, the core (medulla) running along the centre, can hold the two sides together preventing them from puffing. What one wants is the perimedulla, the largest component of the potato between the skin and core.

 

Anyway, just my home cooking experience. I know there are many ways to skin a cat!

[jmacnaughtan]

They look good!  Pommes soufflées aren't something I've attempted myself, but I found that Raymond Oliver seems to give a good idea of how it's done.

 

With lot's of hot oil shaking, etc.

 

(It's in French - if you want to get straight to the blanching part, it's at the 10 minute mark or thereabouts)

 

 

 

[Okanagancook]

that’s  An awesome video,  thanks

[jmacnaughtan]

On 28/11/2017 at 3:21 AM, Okanagancook said:

that’s  An awesome video,  thanks

 

You're welcome.  INA put a load of excellent vintage videos on YouTube; you should check them out.