This beloved dish served at the hotel's Lafayette Restaurant came into being when one day the pastry chef decided that since his dessert soufflé's were so popular, he should create one for breakfast too. create breakfast souffle. It became an instant best seller at the hotel.
Ingredients:
For the Pastry Cream:
160g milk
1 vanilla bean
60g dark brown sugar
20g oat bran flour
5g corn starch
4g ground cinnamon
2g ground nutmeg
2g ground cloves
2g salt
4 egg yolks
30g butter
For eight, 8oz ramekins:
Softened butter
Turbinado cane sugar
For the Soufflé:
4 egg whites
Splash of fresh lemon juice or cream of tartar
Preparation:
1. Prepare the pastry cream. In a medium sauce pot combine milk and vanilla bean and bring to a simmer.
2. In a bowl, stir together brown sugar, oat bran flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
3. Whisk in the egg yolks until mixture is pale yellow, smooth, and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4. While whisking continuously, gradually add all of the milk mixture to the bowl with the other ingredients, and then return everything to pot over low to medium heat, and continue to whisk constantly until the pastry cream begins to thicken (about 4 minutes).
5. Continue cooking the cream for another 2 minutes or until it starts bubbling. Remove from heat and stir in the butter.
6. Strain and put into a bowl. Immediately place a plastic wrap directly on top of the cream. Chill for 2 hours.
7. Before cooking, brush the ramekins with softened butter from the bottom upwards then coat the ramekins with the sugar. Set aside.
8. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine egg whites and fresh lemon juice. Start whisking at a medium speed for about a minute. Increase the speed to the highest and mix until soft peaks form.
10. Remove the chilled pastry cream and, using a rubber spatula, smooth out the cream to ensure it is free of lumps.
11. When the egg whites are ready, add a third of the egg whites into the pastry cream and mix until homogenous. Add all remaining egg whites and fold gently until mixture is well incorporated.
12. Spoon the mixture evenly into 8oz ramekins, and give them a gentle tap to get rid of any air bubbles.
13. Bake the soufflé for 15 minutes. Serve with mixed berries and berry sauce.