Chef Daniel Boulud (2-Star MICHELIN 2020) needs no introduction, especially when offering the recipe for such a classic as his chocolate soufflé.
A Global Dining Collection chef with must-visit restaurants across the country, he is of course best known for his flagship restaurant DANIEL in New York City. Chef Boulud is hosting a weekly series of virtual cooking classes, focusing on French delicacies like poulet basquaise, from which a portion of the proceeds went to Citymeals on Wheels.
Here, I give you Chef Boulud’s sumptuous chocolate soufflé, as follows:
Chocolate pastry cream
⅔ cup milk
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Zest of ½ an orange
Meringue
6 egg whites
6 tablespoons sugar
Assembly
½ cup candied orange (store bought)
1 ounce Grand Marnier
¼ cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons sugar
Sauce
¼ cup crème fraiche
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 tablespoon sugar
Zest of ½ an orange
How to make it
- Preheat your oven to 400 F. Combine the cocoa powder and softened butter with a wooden spoon in a bowl until it is smooth and combined. Using a pastry brush, brush the chocolate-butter mixture into each ramekin starting in the center and brushing upwards. When you have an even layer, pour 2 tablespoons of sugar inside the first ramekin and tilt it from side to side until an even coat of sugar has adhered to all of the chocolate butter. Pour off the excess sugar into the next ramekin, repeat the process until each ramekin is evenly coated. Discard any excess sugar and keep coated ramekins to the side.
- In a small food processor, combine the candied orange with the Grand Marnier and pulse it until it resembles a compôte-like consistency. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the candied orange-Grand Marnier mixture into each prepared ramekin.
- For the pastry cream, bring the milk and the zest of ½ orange to a simmer in a small saucepan. Combine the egg yolks with the sugar, cocoa, and flour in a medium bowl and slowly pour into the hot milk while whisking constantly. When the mixture is combined, pour it back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it is thick. Remove saucepan from heat and transfer the mixture back into the bowl, reserve while you whip the meringues.
- In an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or by hand, whip the egg whites on high speed until you have soft peaks. Turn down the speed to medium-low and slowly stream in the sugar. Whip until you have medium peaks.
- Fold ⅓ of the egg whites into the pastry cream base. When it is smooth, gently fold in the remaining meringue until just combined. Spoon the batter up to the top of each prepared ramekin. Gently tap the bottom of each soufflé ramekin to remove any air pockets. Run your fingertip along the inside rim of each ramekin to remove any batter from the top edge, this will help the top of the soufflé from sticking while baking, allowing it to rise up. If you are not ready to bake your soufflés right away, place them in the refrigerator until you are.
- Place the soufflés on a tray and bake for 8 minutes at 400 F. Turn down the heat to 350 F and continue to bake for another 8 minutes or until they have risen fully and lose their jiggle. While the soufflés are baking, prepare the sauce by combining the crème fraiche, sugar, orange zest, and Grand Marnier in a bowl and whisking it together.
- Serve the soufflés immediately with the sauce on the side.
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