This dish screams COMFORT FOOD all day.

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A Souffle – pronounced as “Soo -flay” is a baked egg-based dish which originated in France in the early 18th century. Made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites{Meringue} combined with various other ingredients and served as a savory main dish or sweetened as a dessert.

We will definitely end up tackling the dessert version of a souffle but first, lets’ talk of the savory kind. Savory soufflés usually incorporate cheese, vegetables, meat or seafood and are appropriate for a light dinner or lunch, or as a first course.

With a couple of ingredients mixed together at the right consistency, well you aren’t too far from the best end results possible. Here is my version, I tried to make the video as simple as possible and well elaborated. Stay tuned.

Making “Potato Souffle”

Prep time: 15 mins    Bake time: 30 mins   Total time: 45 Mins

Serves: 4 pax

MAIN INGREDIENTS:

• 3 boiled potatoes
• 1 -1/2 teaspoons of soften butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 bunch of chopped cilantro leaves
• 4 cooked spicy sausages – chopped
• 5 slices of ham – diced
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 2 egg whites
• Bread crumbs
• Extra butter

Spices Used:

• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of ginger powder

Tools used:

• Baking tray
• Potato masher
• An oven
• Wooden spoon
• 2 ramekin tins
• Electric hand mixer
• spatula
• mixing bowls
• measuring cups/ bowls

INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1: Mash the potatoes + Preheat the oven – 220 C

Mash the potatoes using a potato masher until all is smooth.

Step 2: Mix all the other ingredients.

Gradually in the mashed potatoes, add in soften butter like margarine and mix to combine. Add in the cheese + cilantro leaves + egg yolks. Mix them together. Add in the ham and sausages and mix them together.

Step 3: Make a meringue 

Separately in a different clean bowl, and using the electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites together until they are glossy and form stiff peaks.

Step 4: Fold in the meringue

In the potato mix, add the meringue and fold the mixture in. This means – Using your spatula, cut right in the middle of the mixture, scoop from the sides and fold. Repeat these steps until all the white from the meringue isn’t visible. Then stop!!

Step 5: Prepare the ramekin tins

Using the extra soft butter, apply it to the sides and bottom of the tins. Using the bread crumbs, coat the butter in the tins and drain off the excess. Watch the video above to guide you.

Step 6: Bake for 30 mins

First place a baking tray in the oven, then place your ramekin tins then wait for them to bake.

Step 7: Allow them to cool + serve when ready.

Tips to consider:

1. If you don’t have bread crumbs, you can improvise by crushing some weetabix and using that or sometimes I love to add a slight flavor with an additional 1/4 cup of desiccated shredded coconut – mix them together.
2. If you don’t have ramekin tins, any other oven safe bowl or saucepan with a deep pocket would work perfectly. The type of dish you decide to use is very important. You will need a ceramic or glass straight-sided baking dish. The straight sides are necessary for the souffle to “climb” up the sides of the dish as it bakes.
3. The coating of breadcrumbs to the ramekins, can also be substituted with Parmesan cheese.
4. The coating the tins with butter and Parmesan cheese or breadcrumbs is important because, the souffle needs something to grab onto while rising and baking.
5. While making the meringue – beating the egg whites, the bowl you use, make sure it is grease free and dry with no particles of anything.
6. You will notice, once you remove the souffles from the oven when it’s done baking, they will have risen, but as they cool, they will deflate just a little. That’s very normal.

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Thanks for making time to tune in. If you do have more tips, leave a comment below or to my social media pages, so we could all learn something new. That’s it for this video/post, I’ll see you soon – On Friday.

Much love, TD.