Gordon Ramsay Dessert Recipe: Raspberry Soufflé

Gordon calls the cooking tips in this recipe “the science of soufflé”—and that science has never failed him. A good soufflé should have crisp “love handles” over the edge of the ramekin. Part of the science is weighing out the ingredients for the soufflé instead of attempting to convert the measurements. This is a common practice for baking and the precision will help you achieve the perfect results. His “double varnish” of butter applied in vertical strokes helps the batter rise up the sides of the ramekin during baking. The double varnish plus a clean swipe of your finger around the top of the ramekin before baking will help form the perfect height and outside texture.

The order of the steps in this dessert is extremely important. Gordon’s prep revolves around the egg whites, since perfectly airy whites are the heart of a successful soufflé. If you add the sugar too early, it will weigh down the whites. Wait until you are ⅔ into whipping before adding sugar, and use Gordon’s technique of tapping the sugar dish so that only a small amount sprinkles over the whites. Any water can ruin the texture of the egg whites, so your mixer should be clean and completely dry. Keep your eyes on the mixer while the whites whip, paying close attention to the changing texture of the whites as they gain shine and stiffness.

Gordon first learned how to master soufflé while cooking in Paris, and he still loves the excitement of putting them into the oven. At Gordon’s flagship restaurant in Chelsea, every time he gets an order for a souffle he makes three—one for the guest, one to taste test, and one just in case something goes wrong with the first soufflé.

Add all of the ingredients into a medium saucepot over medium-low heat, cover with a lid and steam the berries for 5 to 8 minutes to allow them to break down. Remove the lid and continue to cook the berries to evaporate the excess water that was released during steaming. Let the mixture reduce for about 5 minutes or until the liquid turns into a syrupy consistency. Do not let the liquid brown.

Pour the cooked berry mixture into a blender and blend on low speed, gradually turning up to high speed for one minute. The result should be an evenly-blended almost jam-like consistency.

Take a medium size sieve and place over a bowl. Pour the raspberry purée into the sieve and pass through with a rubber spatula. Reserve 100 grams of the purée and chill for the soufflé base. Keep the remaining purée warm or room temperature for the soufflé garnish.

Gently heat milk over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes until it just begins to simmer or scalds. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla until very well incorporated. Slowly whisk small amounts of the scalded milk into the egg yolk mixture to temper. Tempering means to slowly mix a hot ingredient into a cold or room-temp ingredient (like the egg yolks) to slowly raise the temperature of the cold or room-temp ingredient while
preventing it from overcooking (scrambling in the case of the egg yolks).

Once half of the milk is incorporated into the bowl, pour the mixture back into the sauce pot and whisk over medium heat until it becomes thick and creamy. Do not let the pastry cream get any color while cooking. Pour the pastry cream into a plastic-wrap-lined baking pan or large bowl, lay another sheet of plastic over directly touching the pastry cream, and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes. Covering the pastry cream will keep it from developing a thick skin on top. Allow the pastry cream to cool completely before use.

Brush a thin layer of butter onto the inside bottom of the prepared ramekins and vertically along the sides. Chill the ramekins for a minimum of 30 seconds to let the butter set. Brush on another thin layer of butter, add shaved chocolate into the ramekins, and roll them in your hands so the chocolate shavings can tumble around the inside of the ramekins to coat the sides evenly. Pour any excess shaved chocolate into the next ramekin and repeat until all four are coated. Place ramekins in the refrigerator to cool while making the soufflé batter.

Preheat the oven to 355F. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the pastry cream and raspberry purée until very well incorporated. In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, begin whisking the egg whites at medium speed. Once they begin to foam, squeeze a small amount of lemon juice as the whites are still whisking. When the volume of the egg whites has increased by ⅔, gradually begin to stream the sugar. Tap the bowl of sugar with your finger to control the amount of the sugar that is poured in. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue whisking the meringue until it forms stiff peaks and is bright white and glossy. To make sure the top center of the meringue is whipped to the right consistency, turn the speed of the machine back to medium, unlock the safety lock, carefully lift the arm of the mixer up 1 to 2 inches, and hold it in this place for 30 seconds. Lower the arm back down and whip for another 10 seconds.

Fold in a third of the meringue into the medium bowl with the pastry cream and raspberry purée mixture, until fully smooth and incorporated. Gently fold the remaining meringue into the mixture in two parts. The volume will decrease slightly but be careful not to let too much air out
of the meringue.

Fill the ramekins to the top, tap lightly on a flat countertop to even out the batter. Using an offset spatula, scrape the tops of the soufflés flat. Clean off any excess batter off the outside of the ramekins. Finally, place your thumb on the inside edge of the ramekin, push about ⅙ inch down into the edge of the souffle batter, and rotate the ramekin in your other hand as you drag your thumb to wipe a small amount of batter from the edge. This is another trick to ensure your soufflé will rise straight up.

Place no more than two ramekins on a sheet tray at a time and bake in the center rack. If using 10-ounce ramekins, bake for 14 to 17 minutes, or until the tops of the soufflés are golden brown. If using 6-ounce ramekins, bake for 10-12 minutes.

Dust with powdered sugar, place a fresh raspberry in the center and serve. For a more formal presentation, dust with powdered sugar, poke two holes into the center soufflé with a small spoon, and pour in fresh raspberry coulis in just before serving.