I finally made a soufflé !

As promised, I made soufflés. And I'm very happy to say they turned out quite well.

I made them with bananas because they were lying around the house crying out "please, eat us, we'll be yummy cooked in sugar !".

 You start by peeling the bananas.

 Then you melt butter in a pan (or a wok in my case because it was clean and available).

 Then you add the sliced bananas with the butter and brown sugar cubes (about one per banana).

Then you cook together milk and sugar and essentially make a chou pastry but instead of adding whole eggs you add the yolks and then fold in beaten egg whites.

This is the roux (equal pats butter and flour) to which you add the sweet milk.

 Nice stiff fluffy egg whites.

 Fold it in.

 And after a trip in the oven voilà !

 You can also cook it in the banana peel but it doesn't really look as nice as it should, will have to work on that one !

If you want to know, I used the Paul Bocuse recipe for the Appareil à soufflé.
I don't know if it's a good thing, but I feel so proud to have made a soufflé, like it's my biggest achievement since macaroons...is that ridiculous ?

Voulez-vous Soufflé avec moi ce soir ?

 Soufflés are such a mystery to me, I've never tried to make one, but I definitely shall (and will keep you posted).

 Yesterday, I had lunch in a french brasserie known for it's soufflés, that's practically all they had on the menu, a magnificent range of savory and sweet ones. 

This restaurant was very "typique et charmant" (#JulieAndJulia) with it's typical waiters and it's peaceful retrieved setting. Although, it was obviously quite the "place to be".

it's called Le Récamier, if you're ever in Paris.

 I thought it was brilliant how they managed to make them exciting with flavors such as Rasberry and basil (which is what I had for desert).

 

My mother tried the Chocolate (it's a classic for a reason ;) )!

 Basically, a soufflé is a combination of white sauce, egg yolks and beaten egg whites. It's thanks to the air trapped in the whites but also the water evaporating onto the dish that the soufflé rises so much. But unfortunately it's also the reason why : You can wait for a soufflé, but a soufflé can't wait for you !

 Apparently, this dish was invented by Antonin Carême ( also inventor of the Tournedos Rossini and the toque (the chef's hat)) around 1823 when he started working in Paris for James de Rothschild.

All I have to say is : well done Mr Carême ! Soufflés were a great invention, and they are at the top of my to do list !