Before you start, make sure the egg whites are at room temperature; this will give the soufflé more substance and stability. Before you beat them, add a pinch of salt to the whites; that helps bind the proteins together. Don't beat the egg whites to hard or too fast, for instance, as it will make them unstable. And remember that the flavour, whether it comes from fruit or jam, is just flavour: The meringue is what makes the soufflé a star.
A well-cooked soufflé will fall gradually, gently and almost imperceptibly 5 to 10 minutes after being removed from the oven, so serve immediately: Timing is everything.
Chef Normand Laprise is co-owner of Toqué! in Montreal.
Servings: 6
BASE AND FLAVOURING
Butter for brushing six moulds
Sugar for dusting six moulds
1 1/2 cups raspberry purée
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 cup water
MERINGUE
1 1/2 cups egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
Method
BASE AND FLAVOURING
Brush the interior of each soufflé mould in an upward direction with room-temperature butter. Sprinkle a small amount of sugar inside each and roll around to coat the sides evenly. Shake out extra sugar and discard. Place the moulds in the refrigerator to set butter and sugar.
Heat raspberry purée and sugar in a saucepan. Meanwhile, make a slurry with cornstarch and water, then add slowly to purée mixture. Continue to heat and whisk until the purée thickens. Set aside to cool.
MERINGUE
Whip egg whites, adding sugar slowly, until stiff peaks are formed. Heat oven to 380 F. Slowly fold purée into the meringue until blended. Place mixture into piping bag and fill moulds. Run a spatula across the top of molds to remove excess mixture. Bake for 10 minutes or until soufflé has doubled in size. Remove from oven and serve immediately.