Grand Marnier Soufflé with Shaved Chocolate

Our simple, foolproof soufflé recipe began with a base of rouille (a paste made from flour and milk), enhanced with butter and extra flour for a creamy rather than foamy soufflé. We whipped the egg whites with cream of tartar and granulated sugar, both of which made the whites more stable. Baking our soufflé at high heat (400°F) gave it a more dramatic rise and created more contrast between the cooked exterior and the creamy, saucy interior.

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. cocoa powder, sifted
5 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup whole milk
5 large eggs, separated
1 Tbsp. orange zest, freshly grated (from 1 medium orange)
3 Tbsp. Grand Marnier
⅛ tsp. cream of tartar
½ oz bittersweet chocolate, finely grated (about ⅓ cup)

A rotary cheese grater is the perfect tool for grating the chocolate, though a box grater works well, too. Make the soufflé base and immediately begin beating the whites before the base cools too much. Once the whites have reached the proper consistency, they must be used at once. Do not open the oven door during the first 15 minutes of baking time; as the soufflé nears the end of its baking, you may check its progress by opening the oven door slightly. (Be careful here; if your oven runs hot, the top of the soufflé may burn.) A quick dusting of confectioners' sugar is a nice finishing touch, but a soufflé waits for no one, so be ready to serve it immediately.

Adjust rack to middle position and heat oven to 400F. Grease 1½ qt porcelain soufflé dish with 1 Tbsp. butter, making sure to coat all interior surfaces. Stir together ¼ cup sugar and cocoa in small bowl; pour into buttered soufflé dish and shake to coat bottom and sides with thick, even coating. Tap out excess and set dish aside.

Whisk flour, ¼ cup sugar, and salt in small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk, whisking until smooth and no lumps remain. Bring mixture to boil over high heat, whisking constantly until thickened and mixture pulls away from sides of pan, about 3 minutes. Scrape mixture into medium bowl; whisk in remaining 2 Tbsp. butter until combined. Whisk in yolks until incorporated; stir in orange zest and Grand Marnier.

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and 1 tsp. sugar at medium-low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until frothy and no longer translucent, about 2 minutes. With mixer running, sprinkle in half remaining sugar; continue beating until whites form soft billowy peaks, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running, sprinkle in remaining sugar and beat until just combined, about 10 seconds. The whites should form soft peaks when beater is lifted, but should not appear Styrofoam-like or dry.

Using rubber spatula, immediately stir one quarter of beaten whites into soufflé base to lighten until almost no white streaks remain. Scrape remaining whites into base and fold in whites, along with grated chocolate, with balloon whisk (see illustration 3 below) until mixture is just combined, gently flicking whisk after scraping up side of bowl to free any mixture caught in whisk. Gently pour mixture into prepared dish and run index finger through mixture, tracing circumference about ½" from side of dish, to help soufflé rise properly.

Bake until surface of soufflé is deep brown, center jiggles slightly when shaken, and soufflé has risen 2-2½" above rim of dish, 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 6-8 servings.