Butternut Squash Soufflé
On my first mother's day as a mother myself, my husband asked me what I wanted to do to celebrate. Our daughter was less than three months old and we were deep in the sleepless nights of early parenthood. I told him I wanted to make a soufflé, something I hadn't tried before. What I really wanted was a couple hours of peace to try and make something a little difficult, a little rewarding, and entirely unrelated to our all-consuming bundle of joy in the other room. It worked out beautifully, and several hours later he and I enjoyed a delicious cheese soufflé with our daughter in my arms. Since that day, I've pursued that soufflé high many times. Here's one of my favorite renditions for these winter months, featuring butternut squash purchased at the market from Judith and Curtis at North Mountain Produce.
By Paige Wilmer, our newest recipe writer. She and her husband Cody run The Long Acre Elderberry Farm.
Method
1 small butternut squash*
olive oil
2 Tbs unsalted butter, plus a little for greasing tins
3 Tbs flour
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp dry rubbed sage, or 3 tsp fresh sage, chopped fine*
¼ tsp allspice (fresh ground, if possible)
¾ cup milk
½ cup freshly grated parmesan or asiago (your preference!)
3 eggs, separated into yolks and whites *
¼ tsp cream of tartar
*These ingredients can be found at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market, check What’s Fresh to see what’s in season
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 400F. Halve your butternut squash, de-seed , rub olive oil on the flesh, and place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of your squash.
Remove squash from oven, let cool til it can be handled. Scoop out the flesh and process in a food processor until smooth. You’ll need 1 cup of the puree for this recipe, reserve the rest for another recipe (like butternut squash pancakes!)
Reduce oven temperature to 375F. Butter oven-safe ramekins for soufflés (you can use six 4oz ramekins, or three 12 oz ramekins). Find a baking dish that will fit your choice of ramekins, place them in it, and set aside.
Melt your butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add flour, salt, sage, and allspice. Cook, while whisking, for 1 minute til paste forms. Slowly add milk while whisking constantly. Cook until thickened, then add your 1 cup of butternut squash puree. Continue cooking for a couple minutes until mixture is fully incorporated and starts to bubble.
Off heat, add cheese and the egg yolks, mix til incorporated, and set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine your egg whites with cream of tartar. Mix on medium low til frothy, then increase speed and beat til stiff peaks form.
Add half of your egg whites to the squash mixture and gently stir in. Then add the remaining egg whites and fold til fully incorporated.
Fill your ramekins to the top with the mixture. Place in pre-heated oven, and carefully add boiling water to the baking dish so that it reaches about half-way up your ramekins. (You can skip this bain-marie step, but it does help them to cook evenly)
Bake for ~30 minutes, or until tops of soufflés turn golden brown and appear set. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg if desired, and serve immediately. A side salad of spinach or arugula pairs well.
