Geoffrey Zakarian's Beginner Advice For Making Soufflés
A soufflé is widely hailed as a culinary masterpiece, so it's not surprising that people find it daunting. If you need motivation to take a leap of faith, renowned chef Geoffrey Zakarian gave Tasting Table some down-to-earth advice at the New York City Wine & Food Festival. "It's not hard. It's just that if you don't do it a lot, you freak out because it's like, 'Oh my God,'" Zakarian says, "It's so inexpensive to do. I don't know why people don't do it more often." Fear of failure is something to set aside to achieve the best soufflé dish; Zakarian emphasizes the importance of technique developed through practice.
He does have a few tips to make learning smoother sailing. Zakarian suggests wiping whipping bowls in "a little vinegar," cream of tartar, or lemon juice to help the protein. Using fresh eggs and uncontaminated separation of the whites from the yolk also improves results. He highlights the potential of savory, not just sweet soufflés, too: "You want it savory, it's just a béchamel, which is butter, flour, milk, and then you make a sauce. And if you make a mushroom soufflé with some cinnamon and maybe some nutmeg, and then you fold in some mushroom puree and then you fold in the egg whites and you bake it." Feeling inspired? Dive right in and see how your first attempt goes — practice makes perfect. Maybe you could start with this fluffy cheese soufflé recipe.
Why are soufflés considered difficult to make?
Arguably, the real reason soufflé is so difficult to make is due to the precision required throughout the recipe. It's a true testament to your attention to detail: You'll need a sharp eye, steady hand, and clinical nose for any steps that fall foul of perfection along the way. A simple example is overbeating in the folding stage; beginners run the risk of accidentally beating out most of the air bubbles. Of course, this has a complete deflating effect, and the result is a rather sad, flat-looking soufflé at the end, despite your best efforts. Other — somewhat rogue — things that can trip you up along the way include using eggs that aren't room temperature. If they are too cold, it can damage the lift potential of your final result. And even if you make it all the way to the end, not choosing the bottom oven rack can sabotage its rise in one fell swoop.
With all that being said, soufflés can absolutely be made ahead of time; here's what to do: Give yourself ample time to relieve any timing pressures. Keep Geoffrey Zakarian's advice in mind, too. "You gotta do it a lot of times and screw it up," he finishes matter-of-factly. It's a dish ruled by the principles of trial and error, but how impressive will it be when you nail the infamous recipe?