Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Return the sweet potato puree to the food processor and add the ricotta, egg yolks and salt.
Process to a smooth puree.
Roll the prosciutto slices into a tight bundle and slice crosswise into very thin strips. Scat-
ter them with your fingertips to keep them from sticking together.
Beat the egg whites in a large, clean bowl until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and contin-
ue beating until stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat.
Add about '/z cup of the sweet potato-ricotta puree to the egg whites and gently fold in.
The best way to do this is with a handheld balloon whisk or a spatula. In either case, cut
straight down through the puree and the egg whites, scrape the bottom and lift the egg
whites over the puree. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Keep doing this until the
puree is fully incorporated, 3 or 4 times.
Add the remaining sweet potato-ricotta puree and fold it in the same way. When you're
done, the puree should be evenly distributed, but there may be small patches of egg whites
remaining. Do not overmix, or the egg whites will lose too much volume.
Scatter the prosciutto strips over the top and very gently fold them in. Do not worry too
much about distributing them evenly.
Using a large soupspoon, evenly divide the souffle mixture among the buttered ramekins.
Depending on how well the egg whites were beaten, you may have some of the mixture
left over. Either bake in another ramekin or discard.
(The recipe can be made to this point, covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated
for up to 2 hours or frozen for up to 2 weeks. The souffles can be baked straight from the
refrigerator. If frozen, remove the plastic wrap immediately and let stand at room temper-
ature for 30 minutes before baking.)
Put a jelly-roll pan in the oven and arrange the ramekins on it. Bake until the tops are
puffed and dark brown in spots, 25 to 30 minutes. The surest sign of doneness is when the
souffles become extremely fragrant. Do not overbake, or the centers will be dry.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
RELIABLE SOUFFLES
