Roasted eggplant soufflé

Making soufflé is not a difficult task. Practice makes perfect. Properly separating the eggs and using a clean bowl is fundamental for a perfect soufflé, and by clean I mean no traces of oil.

My mom and I used to make our version of what we called “eggplant soufflé.” I remember making this so-called “souffle” multiple times, but it was just an eggplant puree. It was delicious, but the technique was wrong. The recipe was delicious, but for the sake of my new readers and this project, I wanted to make it a scrumptious bite, so I decided to reinvent the recipe and make it an actual soufflé. I love eggplants, especially roasted, it is, in fact, one of my favorite vegetables.

When making a soufflé, it is essential to properly separate the eggs, we do not want any traces of the yolks to be mix with the egg whites. Whisking the egg whites to proper form is also fundamental. I know that could be a bit intimidating to some, especially when you have to beat the egg whites by hand, but again practice makes perfect.

Some people say that using a copper bowl it is best to beat the egg whites, but this is not necessary, I used a Stainless-Steel bowl and a whisk.

Ingredients

• 1 Large Eggplant about 1.7 Lbs.
• Half an Onion
• Half a bell pepper
• 1 teaspoon of dry thyme (if using fresh thyme, add 2 teaspoons)
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese plus more for garnish and to cover ramekins
• 2 oz. Unsalted butter
• 3 eggs (separated)
• 4 oz milk.
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. Place eggplant on top of the stovetop to charr the skin. Once ready, place eggplant on a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Once is at room temperature, remove the skin using a paper towel and chop.

2. Chop Onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic.

3. Add some of the butter to a pan to melt, add onion, bell pepper, thyme, garlic, eggplant and the parmesan cheese. Cook for about 5 minutes, and reserve. Once is at room temperature, blend.

4. Separate egg and beat yolks. Reserve whites.

5. In a small saucepan, heat up the milk at a low heat.

6. Place beaten yolks in a bowl, and while whisking add some of the milk into the yolks, then add the mixture to the milk (This method is called tempering) add this mixture to the eggplants.

7. Cover ramekins with some of the butter and parmesan cheese. Place in a tray and place in the refrigerator until need it.

8. In a clean bowl, start beating the egg whites, until you reach soft peaks, take 1/3 of the beaten egg whites and add to the eggplant mixture and mix. Add this mixture to the whipped whites by folding it carefully, we don’t want to lose too much volume.

9. Add some of the mixture to each one of the ramekins until filled. Use your thumb to clean edges (this helps the soufflé to rise evenly) Garnish with parmesan cheese.

10. On a preheated oven place the ramekins filled with the soufflé mixture at 375f  for 25 minutes. Serve immediately.