Prosciutto and Balsamic Souffle

Part of Lawen's entry into Iron Chef SA 028:Balsamic Battle

Ingredients

• 7 egg yolks
• 6 egg whites
• 1 oz. butter + extra
• 1.5 oz. flour
• 12 fl. oz. milk
• 1/3lb. prosciutto (very thinly sliced)
• 5 Tbsp. balsamic
• Grated parmesan cheese

Method

1. Make a bechemel sauce: 1a. Melt 1oz. butter in saucepan. Add 1.5oz. flour, whisking constantly, to form a roux. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until roux turns blonde and begins smelling a little nutty/toasty. 1b. Slowly add 12 fl. oz. milk, whisking constantly, until very smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper (undersalt it a bit, the prosciutto will add a lot of salt). Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for about 20 minutes until sauce begins to thicken. 1c. Whisk egg yolks quickly until smooth. Temper the eggs by adding a couple spoonfulls of bechemel while whisking constantly. Add tempered yolks to bechemel, whisking constantly, until fully incorporated. 1d. Grind prosciutto in food processor until very fine, almost a paste like consistency. Add prosciutto to bechemel and whisk the shit out of it until smooth (are you sick of whisking yet?). 1e. Whisk in balsamic a tablespoon at a time until it tastes right. Continue whisking for another ~8 mins. until thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

2. Prepare ramekins for souffle: Liberally rub bottom and sides (up to collar, not rim) of ramekins with softened butter. Sprinkle buttered ramekins with grated parmesan and tap our any cheese that doesn't stick. 3. Preheat oven to 425F. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Make sure to use a clean bowl and beater for maximum volume. 4. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold 1/3 of egg whites into bechemel base. Add rest of egg whites and fold to combine. 5. Spoon souffle base into ramekins up to collar. Do not fill all the way to the top. Place ramekins on sheet pan. To ensure maximum rise, wipe inside edge and rim of ramekins clean. 6. Bake for ~18 minutes. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DURING BAKING! After 18 mins, open oven while praying the souffles don't immediately collapse. Give the pan a small shake, the middle of the souffles should be slightly jiggly but fully set. Remove souffles from oven as they finish. 7. Top with a sprinkle of grated cheese and a drizzle of balsamic. Serve immediately. You've got about 4 mins. before they start to deflate so get them on the table quick. Mine had already started to deflate by the time my camera was ready, but the last pic above through the oven door shows how tall they'll rise.