Eggs, Beaten, w/ Stuff Inside -Cook-Off 19

[Lori in PA]

Thank you, Jack. I kept thinking, "Where's the bechamel? I thought you had to make a bechamel?" So that's only for cheese versions?

[jackal10]

Thank you, Jack.  I kept thinking, "Where's the bechamel?  I thought you had to make a bechamel?"  So that's only for cheese versions?

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Old recipes for souffle used bechamel as the flavour carrier and to give body. More recent formulations are flourless to give more intense tastes.

You can leave out the bechamel for cheese versions, and just add the grated cheese to the egg yolk but the cheese can come out a bit grainy, or melt the cheese with some cream, but I rather like the softness a bechamel gives for cheese souffles.

[Marlene]

That was awesome Jack, thanks. I might even have the courage to try this on the weekend! Is there a particular size ramiken that works best for individual souffles?

[jackal10]

That was awesome Jack, thanks.  I might even have the courage to try this on the weekend!  Is there a particular size ramiken that works best for individual souffles?

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Those are 3 inch diameter internal

[petite tête de chou]

Jack, I was hoping that you would use brussel sprouts, I love them. Was their flavor quite noticeable in the souffle? Are meats ever used in souffles? Perhaps as the "surprise?"

[KatieLoeb]

Ooooh, ooooooh! Can we please transfer the Rustic Souffle recipe to RecipeGullet so we'll all know where to find it in the future? Something that simple and lovely is definitely a keeper and I always forget which thread I saw a recipe in when I want it again.

[rjwong]

That was awesome Jack, thanks.  I might even have the courage to try this on the weekend!  Is there a particular size ramiken that works best for individual souffles?

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Those are 3 inch diameter internal

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My ramekins are precisely that size. jackal10, you're encouraging me, just a bit ...

[jackal10]

Yes, you can taste the Brussels sprouts. I guess you could accentuate the flavour by frying them a bit first.

Meat is indeed used - ham and cheese for example. Start with a mousseline force-meat and add the eggs. Escoffier gives recipes for many variations - ham, duck, chicken such as for a truffled chicken souffle, (whizz raw chicken breast with some cream, add a little truffle oil, before mixing with the eggs), and then you can play on that - add mushrooms or asparagus, for example.

Fish - smoked fish such as smoked haddock is well known for its affinity with eggs. Need strong flavours as they are diluted a lot by the egg.

Edited February 18, 2006 by jackal10 (log)

[petite tête de chou]

Thanks. I really like the fish suggestion. Since I have easy access to smoked salmon perhaps a "rustic" smoked salmon souffle is in my near future...with a pile of roasted sprouts on the side.

[Lori in PA]

For a party I attended last night I made mini quiches with cream cheese pastry. The filling was smoked salmon, shallot, and roasted asparagus. I had extra filling left, so added egg and bits of cream cheese to it this morning and am reading this thread while eating my breakfast of scrambled eggs deluxe. (Isn't it nice when one can read a thread on a particular topic while eating the very type of food being described?)

[Abra]

Jack, I'm another in the camp of "never thought to make souffle without bechamel" so that recipe is a revelation to me. I'll be making it soon - thanks so much!

[I_call_the_duck]

Breakfast this morning, courtesy of Mr. Duck. Eggs scrambled with sour cream and green onions. Served on top of leftover naan from last night's (restaurant) dinner.

[fou de Bassan]

Would egg nets qualify? Yes, the eggs are beaten but then made into nets and wrapped around a filling. So the stuff in them isn't an inclusion but a separate part.

Thanks

[Gifted Gourmet]

Would egg nets qualify?  

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Just read this on egg nets about which I knew nothing:article on eGullet by Matthew Amster-Burton

Desperate Measures: Thai Omelet

Too many chickens, not enough cows

One of the most elegant motifs in Thai cooking is the use of egg nets. If you've ever seen a pastry chef make designs with melted chocolate onto wax paper, then chill and peel the chocolate off, you understand the principle behind egg nets. The eggs are beaten gently and then strained, leaving a smooth liquid. A thin web of egg strands is dripped from the tips of five fingers into a hot pan, then peeled off and used to wrap savory ingredients like pork, shrimp, and shallots. It's not the sort of skill you master in a weekend, but with the right partner it would make for a sexy Tampopo-style cooking scene.

[Chris Amirault]

Would egg nets qualify?  Yes, the eggs are beaten but then made into nets and wrapped around a filling.  So the stuff in them isn't an inclusion but a separate part. 

Thanks

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I think that they are still eggs, beaten, with stuff in them -- so, sure!

[Chufi]

I made a really nice tortilla today (did we discuss terminolgy already? to me a thick omelet with stuff in it is a tortilla, a thin one, a frittata). It had potatoes (little cubes, fried in olive oil until golden brown before adding to the egg mixture), smoked bacon (also fried first,), onions and garlic, sweated in olive oil first. And lots of fresh parsley, and a sprinkling of grated gouda.

[Pan]

I made a really nice tortilla today (did we discuss terminolgy already? to me a thick omelet with stuff in it is a tortilla, a thin one, a frittata).[...]

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I thought that was just a linguistic difference between Castellano and Italian. But of course the most important thing is the taste.

[TongoRad]

Well- here's one that I'm calling a frittata. I only had 8 eggs to spare or it would have been thicker.

I had to wait until all of that snow from last week's storm melted away and gave me access to my sage plant, somehow this one just needed to have it. It's a Spaghetti Frittata, but in addition there are onions, the sage, roasted peppers and hunks of mozzarella.

And here is a serving plated- some capers on top and some tomato/vegetable sauce from a braised chicken dish that I had lying about, though tomato sauce works just as well. I thought about adding the asparagus as well , but I'm glad I did it on the side:

Edited February 20, 2006 by TongoRad (log)

[purplewiz]

The dark path to my first Spam souffle was the result of not feeling like cooking combined with a somewhat twisted sense of humor. Surprisingly, that one turned out well, but I'd wanted to tweak a few things. This cook-off was the perfect excuse to do so and to document the process.

The problems before were that the Spam cubes were too large, they all sank to the bottom, and the souffle needed a flavor boost. So this time I diced the Spam much smaller, and added some more seasonings.

Basic mise en place. I figure Kraft cheese is the perfect accompaniment to Spam - Velveeta might have been better, but I didn't have any.

Not pictured are a dash of cayenne pepper, half a tsp of dry mustard, and the milk.

I should mention that one of the eggs pictured above had to be replaced with a stunt double because I broke the yolk while separating them. The injured egg will be held for observation overnight, and is expected to have a successful future career as breakfast.

Mmmmmm. Spammy goodness.

Half the can of Spam, diced, being browned off. (The other half was cut into larger cubes and shoved in the freezer for some future use.) I've found that browning off the Spam adds a lot of flavor and a nice texture.

Bechamel with cheese. 3 tbsp flour, 3 tbsp butter, 1 cup milk, 1 handful shredded cheese (it's about a cup, more or less). Seasoned with a dash of cayenne, half a tsp of powdered mustard, salt, and a dash of ground pepper.

Egg yolks were beaten with the homegrown dried chives (which is why they are not of uniform size), tempered in. I didn't take pictures of the tempering because I thought it was in the best interests of dinner to temper well rather than document it.

Egg whites before....

...and after. Stiff peaks, still glossy.

Cheese egg mixture, Spam cubes, and green onions folded into the egg whites, then poured in the 1.5 quart souffle dish. A circular dent drawn in the top for that top hat effect - at least that's what the cookbook claims, and I figure it's not a lot of extra work.

Forty minutes later. Started it at 350F, turned it down to about 300F for the last 10 minutes because it was getting awfully brown. Yes, of course I peek at my souffles while they're cooking!

Dinner is served. Alongside is a wilted spinach salad with bacon and shallots.

All in all, a most satisfactory souffle. The Spam stayed nicely distributed throughout, the flavor was markedly better (my dining companion, otherwise known as my husband, asked what I did differently because this souffle had so much more flavor), and it has the added benefit of horrifying several of my foodie friends (a SPAM souffle?!?!).

Marcia.

[christine007]

I love the Spam souffle, it's adorable!

I was looking at my old cookbooks, and I'm thinking about making a strata. Remember them?

It's basic- stale bread in a buttered dish, shredded cheese, finely chopped onion and tomato, and four eggs beat with a cup of millk poured over.

Baked in a 325 degree oven till brown on top and set. I have one recipe that calls for a can of stewed tomatos with the liquid drained off.

Does anyone still make these? It's been awhile since I cooked one, but I remember it was very good!

[tejon]

Stratas are lovely things when done right! They come out of the oven puffed and golden, with a rich, creamy interior. Even better with some form of pork in the mix

[Gifted Gourmet]

Marcia, that souffle is simply gorgeous! It makes me want to run downstairs to my kitchen and whisk one up ... but then everyone would wake up, demanding some of it!

[christine007]

tejon, I agree! I was thinking about making a strata that we could share with my mom who is vegetarian.

To make up for the lack of meat, I might add some sauteed mushrooms and switch the cheese from cheddar to swiss. Tomatos being nasty this time of year, I am going for the canned, drained stewed tomatos.

That should be good, no?

[Fat Guy]

So I'm working on a version of shakshouka. This is a dish you find in various forms (and spelled various ways) around the Mideast and North Africa. The one I'm talking about involves a base of very slowly scrambled eggs with diced tomatoes. A small subset of people who cook shakshouka use this trick: at the very end of cooking, you crack some whole eggs over the mixture and the gooey stuff permeates the soft scrambled eggs.

My preliminary results were neither photo-worthy nor particularly good. But I'm now receiving some instruction from my friend Sigal Seeber, who used to be Geoffrey Zakarian's pastry chef at "44" (and is also the author of Light Quick Breads) and learned how to make shakshouka from him. I've had the dish at her house and loved it. If I can ever figure out how to make a version that doesn't suck, I'll post some photos and comments.

[C. sapidus]

This thread inspired me to make some standard breakfast fare. In our house, DW usually makes the “regular” food, while I usually make the more exotic dishes. Apparently, somewhere along the line I mentally reversed the directions for making omelets and scrambled eggs. I had been cooking scrambled eggs quickly over high heat, and cooking omelets slowly over low heat. I can hear all of you thinking “Duh”.

Anyway, it turns out that the correct method works much better (all together, “Duh”). I made nice, soft, plain scrambled eggs for grandma and younger son. Then, I tried two batches of omelets. One had feta cheese with sautéed Poblano peppers, garlic, and chives. The other had Poblano peppers, garlic, and fresh basil. Can you tell that I love Poblano peppers?

I followed Julia Child’s instructions for banging on the skillet handle to flip the omelet. Although clouting cookware is great fun, I need to gauge impact strength better. One of the omelets flipped quite nicely, but the other half-cleared the pan. Even the flying omelet was quite tasty, though.