Ingredients
Serves 4 (souffle) 2 (ocean trout)
Twice-baked Cheese Soufflé
(Based on Stephanie Alexander's recipe)
Makes 4x150ml moulds or 8 tiny ones
The soufflés are not served in their moulds, so it is possible to use teacups, eggcups or aluminum moulds of whatever capacity you prefer.
40g butter
2 tbsp plain flour
175g warm milk
40g goat's cheese
1 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
Mountain pepper leaves, to taste
2 large egg yolks
Salt
3 egg whites (90ml)
1 cup cream
Mountain pepper berries, to taste
Christine's Ocean Trout with Fresh Garden Herbs
2 portions ocean trout.
1 tbsp chopped sorrel
1 tbsp chopped chives
1 tbsp chopped garlic chives
1 tbsp chopped tarragon
1 tbsp chopped dill
1 tbsp chopped chervil
1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tsp capers
1 large tomato chopped
2 tsp lemon juice
Pinch of native pepper berry leaf
Salt and dried native pepperberry to season
2 tbsp butter
Method
Twice-baked Cheese Soufflé
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Heat cream and mountain pepper berries until almost boiling. Remove from heat and leave to infuse while preparing remaining dish. Cool and strain before pouring over soufflés.
Melt butter. Dip a pastry brush in the melted butter and brush the inside of the chosen moulds. Reheat rest of butter and tip in flour. Cook over moderate heat, stirring for 2 minutes. Gradually add milk, stirring all the while. Bring to boil, reduce heat to lowest setting and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Add softened goat's cheese and parmesan and ground mountain pepper leaves. Cool for a few minutes. Fold yolks in thoroughly and taste for seasoning.
Divide mixture between moulds and bake in a bain-marie (i.e. in a water bath in a baking dish) for about 12-15 minutes if very small moulds used or 20-25 minutes if larger. Soufflés should be firm to the touch and well-puffed. Remove from oven and from water bath. Soufflés will deflate.
Ease from the moulds and invert on to a greased gratin dish, well spaced. Pour over cream to moisten them thoroughly and return to the oven for about the same time they took to cook originally (it may take a few minutes less - check during cooking). When ready, they will look swollen and golden, and not at all crusty.
Christine's Ocean Trout with Fresh Garden Herbs
Melt butter in a frying pan and place the ocean trout skin side down. Turn when skin is crispy and cook until the flesh is a little uncooked in the middle. Set aside on a plate.
Use the same pan (add more butter if necessary) and add the chopped herbs, capers, chopped tomato, native pepperberry and lemon juice. Cook lightly for a minute or so - the herbs should just cook through.
Serve with rice and cucumber.
Season the trout with cracked native pepper berry and serve with the herb sauce.