Monday, June 11, 2007

Green Beans With Garlic Tomatoes and Cheese Souffle



I'm now at the point where beating egg whites by hand is faster than using the mixer. That's good, as soufflés are quick and simple to prepare, once you get a handle on the egg whites.

I prepared the green bean dish well ahead of dinner and re-heated it in a casserole dish. Served with leftover rice, it was but a few minutes in the microwave warming before dinner. This worked well, as the soufflé needs to be eaten soon after being removed from the oven and trying to time both dishes would be disastrous.

For the Soufflé

Butter for greasing mould
Parmesan cheese for coating
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup boiling milk
½ teaspoon salt
1/4teaspoon pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
4 egg yolks
5 egg whites
Pinch of salt
¾ cup grated Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Butter a 6-cup mould and coat with grated Parmesan cheese. Knock out the excess.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Stir about two minutes until foaming taking care not to brown it (about medium heat depending on the stove). Remove from heat and add the boiling milk. Using a wire whisk beat well and add salt and nutmeg. Return to heat and cook one more minute whipping constantly. Remove from heat.

Separate the eggs-whites into a bowl and yolks into the sauce, beating well after each addition. Dot the top with butter and set aside.

Add the extra egg white and pinch of salt and beat egg whites until stiff. I find a copper bowl and whisk work well. Stir into the sauce, a large tablespoon of the egg whites and then all but one tablespoon of the cheese. Then fold in the remaining egg whites. Pour into the mould and top with remaining cheese.

Place in oven and immediately reduce heat to 375 degrees F. Keep door shut for first 20 minutes. After 25 minutes, check for firmness. Mine was ready at 28 minutes-so it does tend to vary with ovens. Serve immediately as it will deflate quickly.


For the Green Beans:

2 cups thinly sliced onions
½ cup olive oil (it is a lot, I know)
6 large, firm ripe tomatoes, skins removed, seeded and juiced through a strainer, reserving juice.
(Then, tie in cheesecloth the following)
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
4 parsley sprigs

¾ cup liquid from tomatoes, adding water to round up if needed
Salt and pepper
3 pounds of green beans, boiled for 6 minutes in salted water, drained and run beneath cold water to refresh.

Cook the onions in the olive oil over medium heat until soft but not browned. Add the tomatoes, juice and herb bouquet. Simmer about 30 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Cook the green beans while the tomatoes cook. Add to the tomatoes, cover and cook another 8-10 minutes until just about all the liquid is absorbed. Remove lid, blast the heat and reduce the last of the liquid, keeping the beans moving. Adjust the salt and pepper and serve. Can be refrigerated and re-heated, or eaten cold with bread.

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