Monday. 21/09/2015. 'Twice Baked Mushroom and Camembert Soufflés'.

This recipe comes from 'Mary Berry Cooks the Perfect, Step by Step.' by Mary Berry. Page 40.














First of all, I must confess two things: number one, I never cooked a soufflé before so that recipe gave me the opportunity to learn a new dish/skill. Number two, I never ate one before. Somehow it went amiss somewhere down the line. So I do not have an educated palate able to make comparison about what a good soufflé taste like. I had a rough idea of what it should be like texture wise, which is light and fluffy. 




However just the word 'Soufflé' has that French sex appeal to me, and the picture of Mary Berry's one looked sexy appetising on the plate.

Her book has the superb advantage to give step by step instructions to follow. It does not mean that the recipe are easy however as I found that one rather challenging. One thing I would say which is valid to every recipe in any books, it helps to be prepared. Bring all the ingredients out, then prepare them upon instruction if it is peeled, chopped, washed, just do it before starting to follow the recipe itself. Have all the elements for the dish, ready and measured then crack on with the recipe. That simple element of organisation not only save time, but a lot of huffing and panting which can occur without. I learnt that tiny bit of wisdom by doing a lot of the above, huffing and panting over the pans and realising too late that an ingredient that I need right now is simply unready to use. 



We added two ingredients, cubetti di pancetta, 80g which I fried in the same time as the chestnut mushrooms and a tablespoon of fresh thyme. It worked really well with the rest. 

Flavour wise, coming from Normandy, the use of Camembert made my day, evoking reminiscence of my childhood.







The downside I had, to show that recipe are not idiot proof, after having done the beautiful mixture to pour into ramekins, I discovered that I had only two suitable ramekins. So to remedy that lack of equipment, I used also a bigger dish to pour the rest of the mixture into. So we ended with a larger soufflé and two smaller ones. 

To this was added a mistake. For the second baking I did put the larger soufflé on a different place of the oven than the other two. This meant that it browned quite considerably more. 

Despite it all, the smaller soufflés made it to the table that night on a bed of rocket, baby spinach and watercress salad, drizzled by the grainy mustard sauce and gosh, they were delicious, light and fluffy. Usually on Monday, we tend to have a lighter dinner to counterbalance the heavy Sunday Roast of the day before. This number worked perfectly to fit that bill. 

The following day I had the last soufflé for lunch, and despite its rather burnt, over done appearance, it was moist and lovely. 

Both of us loved that recipe so much that we are getting kitted out with nice new ramekins in order to do it again and again. We gave that little number a five stars. It delivered on taste, but also it didn't break the bank moneywise to do. I can only recommend that recipe for any on a budget.