The French Chef (1962–1973): Season 1, Episode 23 - Episode #1.23 - full transcript

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JULIA: Believe it or not, this is a soufflé.

Bet you didn'’t know you could make

a soufflé like this on a platter.

It'’s gonna rise right up just as pretty as can be,

and we'’re gonna do it today on The French Chef.

♪

Welcome to The French Chef.

I'’m Julia Child.

Today, we'’re going to do soufflé on a platter.



You might not have known

that you could do a soufflé on a platter, but you can.

This is a lovely one called filets de poisson en soufflé.

I had it first in a little restaurant in Paris,

up near Montmartre.

And it came out all puffed and brown

and smelling perfectly delicious,

and was served with a special creamy hollandaise sauce.

I'’m gonna put this in the oven, and it'’s gonna be ready, I hope,

in about 20 minutes, and then we'’re going to go back

and do it from the beginning.

Now, the soufflé is, simply and only,

a very thick sauce into which

stiffly-beaten egg whites are delicately folded.



And you can either turn it into a soufflé dish like this,

or you can turn it, spread it out on a platter,

and when you bake it in the oven, it automatically puffs.

It is just something that is automatic.

And this one is going to be a fish soufflé.

And it has a surprise underneath,

and the surprise is that you have fish

that'’s poached in white wine that'’s spread on the platter,

and then the soufflé mixture is spread on top of it.

And you can make any kind of a soufflé this way.

I'’m gonna make a fish one just because it'’s so good.

And here is our fish.

You want-- this is fillet of sole, or flounder.

This happens to be a lemon sole, but you can use

any kind of a fish with a delicate mien,

such as sole or flounder or a whiting.

You wouldn'’t use a sort of a heavy, big, flaky fish

like hake or haddock.

And to poach it in wine, we'’re gonna...

You first put in a little bit of water.

[sizzling]

And then, if you have some fish stock, you can put that in.

If you don'’t have fish stock,

put in a little bit of clam juice.

I'’ll put in about, oh, say, half a cup,

'’cause clam juice is rather strong.

And then use dry white wine or dry white vermouth.

I'’m gonna use about two-thirds of a cup of dry white vermouth.

And then the fish, just simply, it just goes into the pan.

We'’re gonna serve six people, so I'’m gonna use

about a pound of fish fillets.

And then you want to put in enough water

just to cover it, like that.

And then you want to be very careful that the water

just, uh... shivers.

You don'’t want it actually to boil.

And we'’re going to put in some salt.

We'’ve got about a quart of water there,

but we also have clam juice, which is salty.

So I'’m gonna put in just about a little over a teas--

well, about three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt,

and then we'’ll put in some chopped scallions.

I'’m gonna put in about two tablespoons there.

That always gives a nice little flavor.

And then, I'’m gonna put in a bay leaf.

And then parsley, but we only use the stems of the parsley,

'’cause if you use the leaves, that turns the liquid

a dark color, and we want to keep it

as light and pale as possible.

And another thing, whenever you'’re cooking with wine,

be sure that you use an enameled or a stainless pan.

Don'’t use aluminum, because aluminum and wine

often turn something grayish.

So I'’m gonna put this back on the back burner here,

and then we'’re gonna make our sauce base.

And the sauce base

is simply a thick béchamel.

A béchamel, as you remember, is just flour and butter

cooked together and milk, and we'’re gonna make...

use three-quarters of a cup of liquid.

So I'’m gonna use about two and a half tablespoons of butter,

and three tablespoons of flour.

We always melt the butter first,

and then when it'’s started to melt,

then you can put in your flour.

And there'’s one.

That'’s a little bit hot.

Two.

Three.

There.

And then, you stir it around.

And you want the flour and the butter to cook slowly together

for about two minutes.

Whenever you are making a sauce, you-- remember--

you always cook your flour and butter slowly together.

And this is our soufflé sauce base.

That was about two and a half tablespoons of butter,

and three tablespoons of flour.

Then, after you can tell when this has started cooking,

because the flour and the butter are foaming together,

then after it'’s cooked slowly for two minutes,

without turning more than just a buttery color,

you then pour in your hot liquid.

In this case, we'’re going to use three-quarters of a cup of milk,

and if you already had poached your fish

and then had boiled down your fish poaching stock,

you could use part fish poaching stock and part milk.

So you pour all of your milk, your hot liquid, in at once,

and then beat it up with a wire whip.

And then you cook it for about a minute or two.

And then, as you see, that'’s a very thick base there,

when it'’s all done.

And then we beat in one egg yolk.

And you save your white for the rest of the soufflé.

You want to be very careful when you'’re breaking your eggs

when you'’re going to use the whites to beat up,

in that you don'’t get any egg yolk into the white.

Then that'’s beaten in like that.

And then we flavor it. We'’ll want about

a teaspoon of salt...

...and some pepper.

I'’m using white pepper here,

'’cause I don't want any little black specks.

And then a little bit of nutmeg, just a little tiny bit.

There'’s gonna be some cheese that goes into this.

And nutmeg is always nice with cheese.

Now, that'’s all there is to the sauce base, you...

If you want to do it ahead of time,

you wouldn'’t put the egg yolk in until the very end,

because if you let it get cold, it sort of...

[chuckles]: gets awfully stiff.

So if you did it ahead of time,

you'’d film the top with a little bit of butter,

and then you'’d heat it up again and then beat in your egg yolk.

Now, most soufflé bases have one egg yolk per person,

but we'’re gonna use the rest of the egg yolks

for our hollandaise sauce.

We'’re just putting in one egg yolk.

But you can put in more if you want.

Now we'’re gonna beat up our egg whites.

Get this chair out of the way.

Now I'’ve, as always, beat eggs by hand,

I just find that it goes quicker and faster,

but you can beat them any way you want,

as long as they rise seven times their original volume.

I'’m also using an unlined copper bowl,

but you can use any kind you like.

We have four egg whites there,

and then we have the one egg white leftover

from the yolk that we used, so we have five egg whites.

And you start out-- see, I'’m using a great big wire whip,

and I'’m using this bowl, which is about ten inches

across the inside diameter.

The idea of this is the biggest whip and the smallest bowl,

and you get the egg yolks mounted

in the quickest amount of time.

And you start out-- this is whether you'’re doing them

by machine or by hand-- let it get foamy like that,

and then you put in just a little pinch of salt,

and if you'’re not using a copper bowl,

you'’ll use a little bit of cream of tartar.

Because it'’s the acid in cream of tartar'’s tartaric acid

which gives the egg whites stability,

meaning that after you'’ve beaten them,

they stay smooth.

And another thing, you want to be very sure

not only that you don'’t have any egg yolk in your egg whites,

but be sure that both your bowl and your beater

are absolutely clean and free from grease.

'’Cause if they have any grease on them,

that can prevent your egg whites from mounting.

You see, those are mounting up nice and quickly.

And the point about beating is, see, I'’m using

an up-and-down, circular motion.

The idea is to get just as much air

into the egg whites as possible,

and that makes them mount higher,

'’cause the egg whites enclose little globules of air.

Now, we'’ll take a look at them.

They'’re almost done now.

In fact, I'’d say they were just about done.

You see, they'’re holding in the wires of the whip.

And there'’s this little point

that comes up like that and stays.

That means that they'’re just correct.

There. Now, those are just the way you want

your egg whites to be.

And now... we'’ve gotten our egg whites beaten,

we take a look at our fish.

And you want to be sure that you don'’t get

your fish overdone.

It just wants to just flake very lightly.

And then, when it'’s done, you just pour it into a sieve.

And see, I'’m pouring it into a pan, because this...

this fish-poaching liquid is perfectly delicious.

And what you want to do is to boil it down,

and then you can use that for your sauce.

You can use that for your sauce base,

and you can also use it for part of your hollandaise sauce.

And then, when you'’ve drained it out,

just take a fork and flake it up just a little bit.

'’Cause that's gonna go in mounds underneath the fish.

Underneath the soufflé, I mean.

And then you want to be sure to taste it

because you want to be sure that it has enough

salt and pepper in.

We'’ll just take a little taste.

That'’s very nice, but it needs a little bit of salt.

And you could, if you felt it needed it,

even put a little bit of lemon juice on.

I'’m just gonna sprinkle a little salt on there.

That'’s one important thing in cooking,

you want to really flavor up each element.

There, now, that'’s all ready,

so I'’ll put that over to the side.

And then we have our sauce base here

and our egg whites.

Now, this is one of the two tricks

in the soufflé making is

that you be sure that your egg whites are properly beaten,

and then the folding is very important.

Now, you want to put in about a fourth of the egg whites

into the sauce base, and then just frankly stir that in.

As you'’ll see... you can see how this is

gonna soften up the sauce base.

'’Cause you have to really give it very much of a stir.

And you can see the difference between that--

Now, that is-is supple enough so that you can fold

the rest of the egg whites in.

And if you don'’t do that,

you'’ll deflate the egg whites when you fold them.

And then after that has been...

you'’ve stirred in one fourth of the egg whites,

then you put the rest of the egg whites on top.

You never would put a heavy thing on top of the egg whites,

because you'’d deflate them.

And what you are mainly trying to do is

to keep just as much air and volume

into the egg whites as possible.

And then we have the movement of folding.

You take a rubber spatula, and you come down,

and then to the side of the pan and turn it,

and up that way.

You see, it'’s a movement, just like that.

And the object of that is that you'’re bringing

a little bit of your soufflé sauce base up over the...

up over the egg whites.

See, that'’s down to the side and around, like that.

And then you keep turning your pan,

and you do it very quickly.

You see, the whole... that'’s your whole trick in this

is not deflating them.

And then this is gonna have a little bit of cheese flavor,

so I'’m gonna put in about a third of a cup

of coarsely grated Swiss cheese.

You usually have the coarsely grated cheese

because it melts a little more slowly

and doesn'’t get stringy.

And it seems to work better if you fold it in

along with the egg whites.

And with folding, don'’t overdo the folding.

It'’s better to leave a few unblended patches

than to overdo it.

Now, that'’s all ready.

And so we have our... a fireproof platter.

And you want to butter that.

And I think the easiest way is to use your fingers.

Some people use a piece of wax paper and all that.

I just think it takes an awful lot of time.

And then, you put in a very thin layer.

About an eighth of an inch of your soufflé.

You can see those little pieces of cheese in there.

You just spread that on, and then the fish is gonna

go on top of that.

Then we put-- We'’re gonna serve--

I don'’t think this dish is bigger than to serve

probably four people.

So we'’ll put four distinct lumps of fish here.

You could, if you wanted, you could spread the fish all...

all over the platter.

I think it'’s sort of nice to make little lumps.

Like that.

[sniffs] Smells good because of that little bit of wine

in there, and then the chopped scallions are awfully nice.

That'’s about enough.

I'’m probably not gonna use all of that,

but I really have enough fish for six mounds.

And then we just simply make mounds of soufflé

on top of the fish, just like that.

I just remember when I first saw this soufflé,

I just couldn'’t believe it.

You can use any soufflé mix you like.

A spinach one. And you could put poached eggs

down in the bottom.

You remember how we poached eggs.

You poach them and then put them in ice water.

And then, you would... you'’d put a little piece

of toast in the bottom, and then you could put

a little piece of ham, or some chopped sautéed ham

on top of that, and then your ice cold poached egg,

and then your soufflé mixture on.

And by the time the soufflé is done,

the eggs are just heated through.

It'’s an awfully nice dish.

Then we sprinkle some cheese on the top.

This, again, is grated Swiss cheese.

I'’ll recall the proportions

for the soufflé base again for you.

That is two and a half tablespoons of butter,

and three tablespoons of flour,

and three quarters of a cup of hot liquid.

And then one egg yolk, beaten in,

and five egg whites.

And then we put in one-third cup of cheese.

You could put one-third cup of cooked, chopped spinach

if you like.

Now, this is all ready for the oven, and it goes--

You can either cook it in a 425 oven

for about 15 or 18 minutes,

or a 375 oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

So it doesn'’t seem to make much difference which one you use.

Now, let'’s take a look at this one

that we first put in.

You see that'’s rising up very nicely there.

That needs about five minutes more.

So now we'’re gonna get to our sauce.

And this is a... It is a hollandaise,

but it'’s made rather like a custard sauce.

If you'’ve ever made a custard,

this is very much like it, except it'’s used for fish.

That'’s one of the useful things in cooking.

You can translate, say, a dessert technique

into a sauce technique.

You can-- I'’m gonna use four egg yolks.

You can use either three or four.

And then I'’m going to beat them up.

Always, when you'’re gonna heat things,

it'’s better to give them a little beating up at first.

It seems to help them.

And then we'’re going to have a half a cup of heavy cream.

And also, we'’re gonna have

a quarter of a cup of reduced fish stock.

That would be the fish-poaching liquid

that'’s just been boiled down until it'’s an essence.

That'’s called a fumet de poisson,

or just an essence of fish.

And then we'’re gonna turn it over heat

until it thickens up.

Now, this is one of those things that you just have

to really master when you'’re doing cooking,

which is the egg yolk.

And that is, that any time you'’re gonna heat it up,

you have to be terribly careful

that it doesn'’t turn into scrambled eggs.

And that just means that you watch it,

and I don'’t see any reason at all

for cooking this over a double boiler.

That takes so terribly long.

If you'’re standing right over it and watch it,

and you'’re using one of these wire whisks

and you have your hand on the pan...

If you think it'’s getting too hot,

you can take it off the heat, put it back on.

But the thing which you want to watch

if you'’re making either a custard sauce

or this type of hollandaise, is watch for the indications

of when the egg yolks are beginning to get hot.

Now, when they really begin to warm up fairly well,

you'’ll see sort of a foam on top.

And that hasn'’t started yet.

But as soon as they get to the point

of beginning to get thick, you'’ll see that they...

...that they do it awfully quickly,

and that'’s when you want to be terribly careful.

Now, not much has happened here yet.

And it always takes two or three minutes.

But when egg yolks-- egg yolks will scramble

at about 165 degrees.

If you wanted to, you could put a thermometer in

and just watch the thermometer

and you know what was gonna happen at about that moment.

Now, as you can see, there'’s a little bit of foam

starting there.

And that'’s one indication that they'’re beginning to heat up.

And then one of your very best indications is your finger.

Take your finger and stick it in,

and if you can hold your finger in,

it means that it hasn'’t heated up enough.

Now, I think it'’s beginning to heat a bit.

And another thing is, you can tell, if you watch it,

there'’s a little bit of steam that begins to come up.

And now that'’s suddenly, quickly turning into a custard.

So quickly, as soon as that happens,

and particularly if you'’re using a heavy pan,

you want to beat in a little bit of butter,

and that'’ll stop the cooking.

Or if you haven'’t done this very much,

and you get a little bit scared,

have some ice cubes right by you.

This particular-- if you'’re using a heavy pan--

this is sort of a medium-weight enamel.

And as soon-- you noticed how quickly

that suddenly turned to a custard,

and you can see it is napping

or coating the wires of the whip,

and that'’s just the way you want it to be.

Well, if it suddenly happened that way,

that it just suddenly got quick, got thick,

and you didn'’t happen to have your butter right near you,

or you were just...

well, you wouldn'’t have any ice cubes near anyway,

but if you did have an ice cube near you,

you could just put that in, beat it around

for two or three seconds and then take it out again.

But if you remember these things when you'’re making

any kind of a custard, you won'’t have any trouble.

And now, this has-- you can put up to half a pound

of butter into this, if you want.

But you put it in by tablespoonfuls.

Well, I'’ve got about two tablespoons in,

and you... it'’s easiest to have the butter softened.

So you can put, say, anything, from five...

five tablespoons to a half a pound.

And that just depends on how much you want to have in.

And also, this is exactly the same system for making

a French buttercream frosting.

That seems a very far cry, doesn'’t it, from a fish sauce?

But there'’s one type that you make

with an English custard cream, exactly like this,

and then you do beat in half a pound of butter or more,

and that makes this lovely buttercream frosting.

Then you could put chocolate in it.

That would be nice: chocolate and clam juice on a cake.

Now, after you'’ve beaten in as much butter as you want,

you want to taste it.

It'’s awfully good.

I'’m gonna put a little bit of lemon juice in.

Usually, with-- in anything,

when you have a lot of butter and so forth, or cream in,

a little lemon juice just seems to cut the...

sort of cut the heaviness of it.

There, now that'’s all ready.

And if you'’re gonna make it ahead of time,

as with any kind of a sauce that has butter in it,

you don'’t want to keep it too hot.

You would just set this pan in a pan of tepid water,

just to keep it from congealing.

And to heat it up again, you could--

say you were gonna use, say...

well, a quarter of a pound of butter,

you'’d start out the sauce with about three-fourths of that,

and then you could heat the rest of the butter,

and when we'’re going to serve it,

you could just gradually beat that butter in

and that would heat up your sauce again.

Or you could stir it over very gentle heat,

but sometimes, that'’s dangerous,

if you have all the butter that you can in the sauce.

The thing to remember is, with butter,

as soon as it heats up, it turns liquid.

And you also have the other problem:

if you use too much heat, that if you have the sauce too hot,

then your eggs will scramble.

But if you just remember: once you have your sauce made,

just to keep it over very gentle heat, you have it.

So remember, with this sauce, that when you'’re heating

your egg yolks, do it over very gentle heat.

Keep watching it. Put it on and off the heat.

And if you'’ve made it only for the first time,

have a pan of cold water

that you can stick the bottom of the pan in,

or anything to cool it off and then go ahead with it.

But you have to, if you'’re going to be serious about cooking,

you just have to conquer the egg yolk.

And eggs aren'’t very expensive, and you can afford to...

you can afford to waste one or two if necessary.

Now here'’s our soufflé. Ready?

Now, you...

It just smells lovely and looks beautiful.

It always creates a tremendous effect.

And when you'’re gonna serve this soufflé,

just serve it as a separate course.

Don'’t put anything else with it, except a chilled white wine.

You would use a Burgundy or a Graves.

And some French bread.

Now, I'’m gonna serve you a portion of it

so you can see how it looks.

And this is not a non-collapsible soufflé.

This will gradually sink down as it cools.

But if you'’re not quite ready to serve it,

you can leave it in the oven with the door ajar

for, oh, four or five minutes.

But as soon as you bring it out of the oven,

it'’s gonna begin sinking down.

And here is our lovely hollandaise sauce

that goes around it.

And that really makes-- I think this is really

one of the best soufflés I'’ve ever eaten in my life.

And I think you'’ll enjoy it very much.

And now, remember,

I do hope I'’ve convinced you that a soufflé isn'’t difficult.

As you remember, it'’s nothing but a very thick white sauce

into which egg whites are folded.

And once you have beaten your egg whites carefully,

so that they really mount and are filled with air,

and if you'’re using an electric beater,

hold it in your hand and circulate it around,

getting just as much air in as possible.

And then remember that very careful folding,

that little trick of really beating in

a quarter of the egg whites to loosen your sauce,

and then very delicately folding in the rest.

And if you do those two things,

I don'’t think you'll have any trouble at all making a soufflé.

And you saw how quick it was.

We had that whole thing done in, really, less than 20 minutes.

And be sure that your oven is correct.

If you haven'’t checked it with an oven thermometer,

be sure to check it, because it has to cook

at just the right amount of speed.

And now, if you'’ve mastered the soufflé and the egg yolk sauce,

you'’re really a cook.

So that'’s all for today.

This is Julia Child.

Bon appétit.

♪

ANNOUNCER: Julia Child
is coauthor of the book

Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

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