0 Rise, rose and risen

Guanaja chocolate souffle by Laurent Bernard Chocolatier (The Pier, 80 Robertson Quay). This had been on my bucket list for eons and I can finally put the tick mark next to it with much satisfaction. This was amazing in so many dimensions: a feather-light mousse centre that was deep and unctuously rich with dark guanaja chocolate, the bitterness nicely tempered with a refreshing icy raspberry sorbet and vanilla bean creme. It was a birthday surprise to celebrate my friend's 22nd, and we delighted in this occasion with an equally delightful indulgent dessert.

Taking a step back, let's do a bit of analysis. What makes a souffle a tower of beauty? Forming the structure of a souffle is a stiff foam of beaten egg whites. During baking, steam expands the air bubbles in the foam causing the souffle to rise. The foam sets as the egg white cooks. Maintaining the delicate, feather-light structure is much of a science lesson.

Understanding the conditions and processes that maintain the protein structure can help to avoid such a kitchen disaster. The following tips is taken from Souffles in The Science of Cooking.

Temperature.The foam has a tendency to collapse after the final stages of mixing when fats are added. Hence souffles should be put into a hot oven so that they start cooking immediately. The right temperature is also paramount. Too hot and the souffle may be scorched on the outside before it is cooked in the centre; too low and the egg proteins can cook and stiffne before the steam can make the souffle rise, giving a flat souffle.

Greasing with hard fat (soft fats tend to flow away during cooking). Greasing is necessary to prevent protein molecules from sticking to surfaces, which can impede the rising process.

Smaller dishes are preferable. Foam (air) is a very poor conductor of heat; the outside of the souffle gets hot quickly while the centre takes longer to cook. Using smaller ramekins makes it easier to produce a souffle that is uniformly cooked through the centre.

Separate eggs and beat the whites to make a very stiff foam. A really stiff foam is necessary as this forms the basis of the souffle. Smaller bubbles are better as they provide a uniform and smooth texture to the souffle. This can be achieved by longer beating times.

Avoid fats for souffle ingredients. Fats make the egg white foam collapse, just like how fats causes bubbles in a bubble bath to disappear. If fats are added (for e.g., some recipes call for egg yolks, or fats found in flavorings such as cocoa butter in chocolate).

I'm tempted to try an attempt at a souffle recipe. But first I need ramekins!