Equipment
Ingredients
Mold Preparation
- 15 g unsalted butter, softened
- 20 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
Fruit & Ham Reduction
- 120 g green tomato, finely diced
- 80 g yellow peach, finely diced
- 60 g cured ham, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 10 ml olive oil
Soufflé Base
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 30 g all-purpose flour
- 180 ml whole milk, warm
- 100 g whole milk ricotta, strained well
- 3 egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 g fresh thyme, leaves only
- 2 g salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Meringue
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 g cream of tartar
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 200°C/400°F. Brush the interiors of four ramekins with softened butter using upward strokes, then coat completely with grated parmesan. Shake out excess and refrigerate.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, sauté the olive oil, minced ham, and shallot until the fat renders and ham crisps (about 4 minutes). Add diced green tomatoes and peaches. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the mixture is dry and pasty. Excess moisture will ruin the rise. Remove from heat and cool.
In a medium saucepan, melt 30g butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes to make a blonde roux. Gradually whisk in the warm milk. Simmer for 3 minutes, whisking constantly until thick and smooth (béchamel).
Transfer the béchamel to a large bowl. Whisk in the strained ricotta, salt, pepper, and thyme. Whisk in the egg yolks one at a time. Finally, stir in the cooled tomato-peach-ham mixture.
In a clean bowl, whip egg whites (and cream of tartar if using) to stiff, glossy peaks. Do not overbeat until dry.
Gently fold one-third of the whites into the heavy yolk base to lighten it. Then, very gently fold in the remaining whites in two batches, being careful not to deflate the air bubbles. Stop when streaks of white disappear.
Divide mixture evenly among ramekins, filling to the top. Run your thumb around the inside rim of each mold (the 'rim clean' technique) to encourage a straight rise. Place on a baking sheet.
Immediately lower oven temperature to 190°C/375°F. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Do not open the oven door during baking. Soufflés are done when risen tall and golden brown on top.
Chef's Notes
- The 'Rim Clean': Running your thumb around the inside edge of the filled ramekin creates a small channel that allows the soufflé to rise straight up like a top hat, rather than mushrooming over the sides.
- Moisture Control: Peaches and green tomatoes are very wet ingredients. The sauté step is not just for flavor—it is structurally critical to drive off water. If the mixture looks wet, keep cooking it.
- Timing: You can prepare the base (up to step 4) an hour in advance and keep it at room temperature with plastic wrap pressing against the surface. Whip and fold the whites only immediately before baking.
- Ricotta Texture: Use high-quality whole milk ricotta. If yours is watery, spread it on paper towels for 10 minutes to drain before weighing.
Storage
Reheating: Soufflés must be eaten immediately; they cannot be reheated without texture loss.
