{recipe} Pea and Parmesan Souffle

Savory souffles as a side dish? Yes! Despite rumors to the contrary, souffles are deceptively easy to make, and can make any dinner seem like a special occasion. Try it and you’ll see there’s no magic to it – just a relatively straightforward recipe and technique. The results, however, are as impressive as they are delicious.

Sweet summer peas and parmesan combine in a light, airy delight that is a terrific accompaniment to roasted chicken, steak, or fish. There’s no need to be scared of souffle – try it and you’ll wonder why you waited so long!

Pea and Parmesan Souffle
makes 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 10 fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan + extra for ramekins
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 2 Tblsp white wine
• large pinch salt
• 10 grinds black pepper
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup flour

METHOD:

• Prepare 4 ramekins by spraying with cooking spray or olive oil. Pour a bit of grated parmesan into each ramekin and swirl it around to coat the inside. Set aside on a pan.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Boil a small amount of water, add peas, and cook 2-3 minutes to blanch. Drain and put peas in food processor or blender.
• Add mint, sour cream, parmesan, lemon zest, wine, a large pinch of salt, pepper, and egg yolks. Mix well in blender or food processor until smooth.
• Scrape into a bowl and stir in flour.
• Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites gently into pea mixture. (If you don’t know how to fold egg whites – check out this video around the 1:30 mark as it’s super helpful.)
• Gently spoon into prepared ramekins. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove from oven and serve immediately. They will deflate in about 3-5 minutes!
• To make ahead: you can make the pea mixture ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. Then, before serving, you can whip the egg whites, fold them in, and bake.