Souffle on a Grilla Kong? You bet.


 

Bob Walters

TVWBB Member
People shy away from souffles because they have a reputation for being tricky to cook. Actually, they're not and if you follow a few strict rules even a first timer can be successful. These days it's even easier with Al Gore's Internet loaded with how-to videos.

I was impressed with how well my Heatermeter and Adapt-a-damper held rock-steady temperatures during a 5 hour rib cook so I thought I'd try a souffle.

The souffle prep was standard; a 6 egg cheese version using Gruyere poured into a souffle dish with a foil collar. I used a pinch of dry mustard and a pinch of smoked cayenne.

The grill stack was charcoal in a basket with the standard charcoal grate removed, above that the Grilla standard heat deflector legs up, and then the standard grate at the level of the main seal. Judging from the color of the top of the souffle and the slight deviation in color on the sides, next time I think I will add my pizza stone above the grate (under the souffle dish) in an attempt to even out the temperature a little better. Or it might be better to use the heat deflector with the legs down.

A few minutes before putting the souffle on the grill I added one chunk of apple wood about the size of a large lemon.

Cooking time was 45 minutes at 375F. Judging when a souffle is done is the only part where doubt creeps in. Cook it too long and it's leathery. Too short and the center will be runny and raw. I gave this one the "jiggle" test at 35 minutes but it was obviously too soft. Again at 40 minutes, I was in doubt. I would rather have it slightly over cooked than under cooked but it must be said that "real" souffle experts prefer the end product to be closer to raw than over cooked. Suit yourself. I don't like raw eggs.

The center of this one was soft and jiggly without being runny and raw, perfect for me. There was just a hint of smoke flavor, and my wife awarded my effort with a score of 10 out of 10.
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[/url]Souffle by Bob Walters, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
I have never had a soufle but if I ever would I would want that one :D

Truth be told, it's little more than a fancy cheese omelet. The difference is that you separate the eggs, combine the cheese with the egg yokes, and you whip the whites to form a big pile of air bubbles. Then you combine your efforts, pour everything into a deep dish, and bake it. The result is something soft and puffy which impresses your guests. That's about it.

There are only a few no-no warnings. Use a REALLY clean bowl to whisk the egg whites. Any grease will prevent them from rising properly. You gotta be careful when separating the eggs too. Any yolk in the whites will inhibit the ability of the whites to puff up.

Otherwise, making a souffle is really pretty easy. The absolute worst thing, assuming you don't burn it black, is that you will have a flat souffle which means you have a cheese omelet and that's not a bad thing. Check out YouTube for directions and give it a try.
 
Oh I fully know what they are and even the basics of how to make one. I have just never been interested in them enough to want to eat one or try making them
 

 

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