Chocolate soufflé

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Place a baking sheet on the lower rack of the oven and preheat to 190 degrees Celsius. The hot sheet sends heat straight into the bottom of the ramekins, helping the soufflés rise straight up. The oven is ready once it has held its temperature for at least ten minutes.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Brush to taste softened unsalted butter inside four ceramic ramekins in straight strokes from the bottom to the rim, then add to taste granulated sugar, rotate to coat evenly and tip out the excess. The sugar works like tiny steps that let the soufflé grip the sides and climb. The ramekins are ready when they are fully covered in a thin layer of sugar with no bare spots.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Put 120 g finely chopped dark chocolate and 30 g unsalted butter in a bowl, set it over a pan of barely simmering water on low heat and stir until melted. The water bath keeps the chocolate from burning or seizing. The mixture is ready when it is glossy and smooth with no bits of chocolate left and feels just warm to the touch.

   Low heat.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Take the bowl off the pan and whisk 54 g egg yolks into the chocolate one at a time along with a pinch salt. The yolks thicken the mixture and give the soufflé a rich base. The mixture is ready when it is thicker, glossy and evenly blended with no yellow streaks.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Beat 160 g egg whites with 0.5 g cream of tartar until foamy, then gradually add 50 g superfine sugar and keep beating for about four minutes. The meringue needs to be firm but still supple so it folds easily into the heavy chocolate. The meringue is ready when it is glossy and smooth and the peaks curl over slightly at the tip.

   Suggested time: about 4 minutes.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Stir a quarter of the meringue into the chocolate to loosen it, then fold in the rest in two additions with a spatula, sweeping up gently from the bottom. The air in the egg whites is the only thing that makes a soufflé rise, so keep as much of it as you can. The mixture is ready when it is an even brown with only a few very small streaks of white.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Spoon the mixture into the ramekins right to the rim, level the tops with a knife, then run your thumb around the inside edge to make a small groove. This groove helps the soufflé rise straight up like a top hat instead of leaning to one side. The ramekins are ready when the tops are level, the rims are clean and the groove is evenly round.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Set the ramekins on the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake at 190 degrees Celsius for 12 to 14 minutes, without opening the oven door for the first ten minutes. The sudden burst of heat makes the air inside expand and push the soufflé upward. The soufflés are done when they have risen about 3 cm above the rim, the tops are dry and the centers only wobble slightly when gently shaken.

   Bake at 190°C for about 12 to 14 minutes.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Take the soufflés out, sift to taste powdered sugar over the tops and bring them to the table immediately. A soufflé starts to fall after about two to three minutes as the heat escapes. It is at its best when you dig a spoon into the middle and find the center still soft and creamy.

   Mark step 9 as done