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Home Recipes From the Show Twice-Baked Pea Souffle

Twice-Baked Pea Souffle 02/09/2009

Serves 6

Description:

Prep and cooking time - 1 hour (plus cooling time)

This is a beautiful dish for spring. The soufflés can be prepared before guests arrive and finished just before serving.

They are appealingly green and the fresh peas on top add a sunny spring flavour.

Ingredients:

1²/³ cups (200g) frozen baby peas
1²/³ cups (410ml) milk
80g butter
½ cup (75g) plain flour
2 tablespoons thickened cream
2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
3 egg yolks
4 egg whites
1½ cups (375ml) cream
½ cup (40g) finely grated parmesan
cheese, extra
150g fresh peas, shelled

Method:

1 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Grease six 1-cup (250ml) metal dariole moulds.

2 Boil, steam or microwave the frozen peas until just tender; drain. Blend or process peas with 200ml of the milk until almost smooth. Press mixture through a sieve; discard solids.

3 Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour; cook, stirring, until mixture thickens and bubbles. Gradually stir in the remaining milk then the pea mixture until well combined. Stir in thickened cream and parmesan. Cool for 10 minutes.

4 Stir the egg yolks into the pea mixture; season with salt and ground white pepper.

5 Whisk the egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Use a large metal spoon to fold egg whites into the pea mixture in two batches. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dariole moulds. Place moulds in a deep baking dish and fill the dish with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the moulds.

6 Bake for about 20 minutes or until firm and browned lightly. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before inverting the soufflés into individual gratin dishes. (These can now be cooled, even refrigerated, until ready to serve)

7 To serve, pour ¼ cup of the cream over each soufflé and then sprinkle with the extra parmesan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the soufflés rise a little and are browned lightly.

8 Meanwhile, briefly cook the fresh peas in a saucepan of boiling water for about 20 seconds or until bright green. Drain.

9 Serve the soufflés in the gratin dishes, sprinkled with the peas.

Notes:

Not suitable to freeze or microwave.