The Essential James Beard Cookbook (65 page)

GRAND MARNIER SOUFFLÉ

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

This type of dessert soufflé is made without a béchamel base and with a great many eggs, to produce a very light, delicate, and high-rising result. In this case, it is advisable to use a paper collar on the soufflé dish.

Editor: Some dessert soufflé recipes use a thick white sauce as the base. Beard learned this technique observing the chefs at the venerable Restaurant Allard in Paris, while lunching with Alice B. Toklas. This picture-perfect bistro is still in operation.

Softened butter and sugar, for the soufflé dish

8 large eggs, separated, plus 1 large egg white, at room temperature

1¼ cups sugar

¹
⁄
₃
cup Grand Marnier

Grated zest of 1 large orange

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch of plain salt

Take a piece of waxed paper, or aluminum foil, long enough to fit around a 2-quart soufflé dish with a little overlap. Wrap the waxed paper around the dish, and fold lengthwise so it rises 3 to 4 inches above the rim of the dish. Butter one side heavily. Using kitchen twine, tie the paper around the soufflé dish, buttered side inward. Butter the inside of the soufflé dish, sprinkle it with the sugar, and tilt the dish so the sugar rolls around and coats the bottom and sides completely. Tip out any excess sugar. This helps the soufflé to rise and gives it a crusty, sugary exterior. The butter and sugar coating is standard for dessert soufflés.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.

Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until the yolks are light and lemon-colored. Gradually beat in 1 cup of sugar and continue beating for about 3 minutes, or until the mixture is very thick, pale and ribbony, which means that when the beater is lifted the mixture falls from it in a thick, broad ribbon. Beat in the Grand Marnier and orange zest.

In a clean bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites, adding the cream of tartar and salt when they are foamy. Beat until they reach the soft-peak stage, then gradually beat in the remaining ¼ cup sugar and continue to beat until the egg whites form stiff, glossy peaks. Fold one-fourth of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture to lighten it, then lightly fold in the rest of the whites.

Pour the mixture into the prepared soufflé dish, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, according to how cooked you like your soufflé. This type of soufflé is best if baked 25 minutes—the center will be slightly liquid and creamy and will form a little sauce for the crustier, firmer part of the soufflé.

Remove from the oven and untie the paper collar. Very gently peel it away from the risen soufflé, being careful not to puncture the crust, or the soufflé will collapse. Serve immediately.

FIVE-DAY PLUM PUDDING

MAKES 12 TO 16 SERVINGS

Editor: Plum pudding was a specialty of Beard’s British mother, Elizabeth, and was served with pride at Christmas dinners during his childhood in Portland. Beef suet will probably have to be ordered from your butcher, but today, even many British cooks now substitute butter. A pudding bowl, made from ceramic with fairly straight sides to help the bowl fit easily into a stockpot, is the traditional cooking vessel. In a pinch, pour half of the batter into a buttered 12-cup fluted tube pan, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and steam for about 3 hours; repeat with the remaining batter. The pudding (or puddings, if you have used the tube pans) can be cooked, cooled, covered, and refrigerated in its bowl a few days ahead, and reheated in the oven or in the pot before serving.

½ pound beef suet, finely chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup golden raisins

¾ cup dark seedless raisins

½ cup dried currants

1 pound mixed, finely chopped candied orange peel, lemon peel, and citron

6 or 7 tart apples, cored, peeled, and chopped

3 cups fresh bread crumbs (made in a food processor or blender from day-old white sandwich bread)

1 cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup toasted, skinned, and finely ground hazelnuts

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground mace

½ teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon plain salt

Grated zest and juice from 1 orange

Grated zest and juice from 1 lemon

About 2 cups Cognac, rum, or brandy, as needed

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

Dark or lager beer, if needed

Softened butter, for the mold and aluminum foil

Cognac Sauce (see Box,
here
)

Toss the suet in a very large bowl with 2 tablespoons of the flour. Add the golden and seedless raisins and the currants, add a few more tablespoons of flour, and toss again. Add the candied fruits, add about ½ cup flour, and toss again. Stir in the remaining flour, apples, bread crumbs, brown sugar, hazelnuts, cinnamon, ginger, mace, cloves, and salt. Add the grated zests and juices from the orange and lemon, and ½ cup of Cognac. Stir well.

Cover and refrigerate for 5 days, adding ¼ cup more of Cognac each day and stirring the mixture well. On the last day, stir in the lightly beaten eggs. If the batter is too thick, thin it with a little beer.

Pour the batter into a well-buttered 3½- to 4-quart heatproof pudding mold or ceramic bowl and cover tightly with buttered aluminum foil, buttered side down. Place on a trivet or steamer rack in a large pot, and pour in boiling water to reach halfway up the bowl. Cover the pot and steam the pudding over medium-low heat until the pudding is a glossy dark brown, about 6 hours, adding more boiling water to the pot if necessary. Remove the bowl from the pot and let stand 10 minutes. Unmold and serve with the Cognac Sauce.

APPLE TAPIOCA

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Often damned, this rather gelatinous pudding is sometimes referred to as fish eyes. To those who, like me, love it, it is indeed a treat.

Editor: Small pearl tapioca, available online and at many supermarkets, is neither instant tapioca (pearl tapioca that has been crushed into granules for faster cooking) nor large tapioca pearls. Be sure to purchase the correct tapioca for this dessert.

¾ cup small pearl tapioca, soaked in cold water to cover for 2 hours, and drained

2 cups boiling water

½ teaspoon plain salt

1 cup granulated sugar

6 tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup fresh bread crumbs (preferably pumpernickel or whole wheat, made in a food processor or blender)

¹
⁄
₃
cup packed light or dark brown sugar

Vanilla ice cream or heavy cream, for serving

Put the drained tapioca in the top of a double boiler over simmering water and add the boiling water and salt. Cover and cook until the tapioca is transparent, approximately 50 minutes.

Place the granulated sugar in a heavy skillet and cook over medium heat, until melted, dark amber, and caramelized. Add the sliced apples (they will splatter, so be careful) and cook until the apples are tender. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the butter and the vanilla.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Alternate layers of apples and tapioca in a buttered 9 by 7-inch baking dish, ending with apples. Combine the bread crumbs with the brown sugar and sprinkle over the top. Cut the remaining butter into small cubes and dot over the top of the pudding. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot, with ice cream or heavy cream.

VARIATION

TAPIOCA WITH APPLES AND PEARS:
Use half apples and half pears.

FLAN

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

This is a typical Spanish dessert, beautiful to look at and simple to make. Flans are best when made hours before serving and thoroughly chilled.

1¾ cups sugar

3 large eggs, separated, plus 5 large egg yolks

Two 12-ounce cans evaporated milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons Cognac or rum

Put 1 cup of the sugar into a 8 by 2-inch round metal cake pan in which you can bake the custard. Place this over low heat, and stir constantly until the sugar melts and turns a golden color. Tilt the pan, and allow the caramel to coat it entirely. Set this aside to cool while you make the custard.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the eggs and yolks together in a medium bowl. Add the evaporated milk, the remaining ¾ cup sugar, and vanilla. Mix well. Strain into the caramel-coated pan, and place the pan in a larger pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the custard-filled pan. Bake for about an hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly, and turn out on a flameproof platter while it is still warm (or else the caramel will stick to the sides). Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Cognac Sauce

Makes 2 cups

This sauce adds great contrast to steamed puddings and very rich desserts. It is one of the sauces used for the traditional Christmas pudding.

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

²
⁄
₃
cup confectioners’ sugar

2 large egg yolks

¾ cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons Cognac or brandy

Beat the butter with the sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Pour into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir in the cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickly coats a wooden spoon. Do not let boil. Remove from the heat and strain into a bowl. Flavor with the Cognac. Serve warm or cold.

When you are ready to serve, heat the Cognac or rum until warm in a small saucepan, pour over the flan, and ignite with a long kitchen match. Bring to the table blazing. To serve, cut into wedges and transfer to plates, spooning the caramel and Cognac on top.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Editor: Beard advises to make the mousse the day before your dinner party, but a few hours will suffice. You can use your favorite bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, instead of the chocolate chips. Note that this recipe uses raw eggs, which have been known to carry the potentially harmful
salmonella
bacterium, and should not be served to the elderly, very young, or anyone with a compromised immune system.

One 6-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

2 tablespoons Cognac

Dash of plain salt

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot water. Add the egg yolks and cognac and whisk well. Remove the insert from the double boiler. Whip the egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until foamy, then add the salt and beat until stiff but not dry. Stir one-fourth of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining whites. Pour into individual pots or a glass dish, cover, and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve cold.

IRISH WHISKEY TRIFLE

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

Editor: For a make-ahead dessert, trifle is hard to surpass. If you have the time, let the ladyfingers stand out overnight, uncovered, so they stale slightly before using.

10 to 12 ladyfingers

½ cup Irish whiskey, as needed

½ cup raspberry preserves

2½ cups
Crème Anglaise
, chilled

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons superfine sugar

¹
⁄
₃
cup coarsely chopped pistachios