Rhubarb parfait, with a difference
I first ran into this type of dessert in a little hotel in the middle of France. We were all bemused to see on the menu ’souffle glace’. Something wrong here, I thought. How can you have an iced souffle? ‘Simple,’ said the maitre d’, ‘It’s just a parfait, frozen inside a mould extended by some cardboard tied around the edge to extend its height, so, when the cardboard is removed it looks like a souffle.’ Touche.
I tried it when we came back, but was always disappointed that because the mix had not been churned, it was always a little icy. Then I changed tack. Why not the best of both worlds? — a hard, icy exterior, surrounding a cold, but still soft centre. Just like a true souffle, only cold.
4 stems of rhubarb, sliced, leaves removed a little sugar for the rhubarb
4 eggs, separated
2 cups cream for the custard
60g caster sugar
1 cup cream for whipping
40g caster sugar for whipping the egg whites
1
The day ahead if you like, cook the rhubarb with a little sugar until the rhubarb has softened. Allow to cool, then puree. You will need a little more than a cup of puree. Refrigerate. Any over makes for a delicious breakfast.
2
Make a thick custard with the egg yolks, the 2 cups cream and the 60g sugar. Refrigerate
3
Whip the rest of the cream until it holds firm peaks. Refrigerate.
4
Whisk the egg whites in a ridiculously clean bowl, using a ridiculously clean whisk, until just firm. Add the 40g sugar and whisk until a firm snow. Set aside and refrigerate.
5
The idea is to fold together the cream, rhubarb and egg whites, and to do this they all need to be of the same consistency and temperature. The cream and the whites are pretty much the same, but the rhubarb will need to be ‘thinned down’ with the custard. Whisk the custard into the rhubarb until it is the same consistency as the other components.
6
Gently fold the three together and pour into the smallest individual moulds you have. The moulds have to be small because the dish is very rich, and remember, the souffle extends over the rim of the bowl. Make collars with cardboard and fill to the rim. Freeze.
7
This dish must go to the freezer no more than 3 hours before it is to be served. It must not be allowed to freeze through more than a centimetre all round — top, sides and bottom. It is a dish that succeeds because of the surprising change of texture — hard top, soft and cuddly in the middle. Obviously it is served in the moulds, so choose your flashest.