Lenotre’s souffle OMELETTE
Deliciously fluffy and sweet omelette wiht the drama of a Cointreau flambée.
If you're apprehensive about making a classic soufflé, then making a sweet soufflé omelette is an easier alternative you can try at home. Inspired by the iconic French pastry chef Gaston Lenôtre, this dessert uses Cointreau instead of Benedictine liqueur. Cointreau is a delightful, sweet, orange-flavored liqueur that adds a unique twist to this classic dish. Personally, I love making this recipe to celebrate Bastille Day because of the drama of the flambée.
INGREDIENTS
2 egg yolks
3 ½ egg whites (100 ml / 3.4 fl oz)
50 g (1.8 oz) caster sugar (fine white granulated sugar)
1 tbsp white sugar (for the meringue)
10 ml (0.3 fl oz) Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or Benedictine, plus 15 ml (0.5 fl oz) for the flambée
1 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1 pinch of salt
25 g (0.9 oz) butter
MISE EN PLACE
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) convection heat. Have a nonstick 24 cm (9.5 in) frying pan ready, as well as a stand or electric mixer to beat the egg whites. You’ll need a whisk and a spatula. Separate and measure the egg whites and yolks into separate bowls.
Note: Make sure you have everything ready before you start and watch the video to see the process first. You won’t have time to stop and start while making this recipe because, as with everything soufflé, time is of the essence.
Method
In a medium-sized bowl, add the egg yolks, sugar, and 10 ml (0.3 fl oz) Cointreau (or any liqueur you use), then whisk vigorously for 2 minutes until the mixture is whitish and almost foamy.
When done, add the egg whites, salt, and lemon juice to the mixer bowl and whisk on medium speed until the egg whites double in volume. Follow by adding the sugar, then raise the speed of the mixer and beat the meringue until it forms stiff peaks.
As soon as this is done, add 2 tablespoons of meringue to the sugar and egg mixture and combine gently with your whisk. After that, use a spatula to carefully fold the rest of the meringue into the egg and sugar mixture. This will become your soufflé mixture.
Next, add the butter to your pan over high heat, and as soon as the butter starts to foam, pour all the soufflé mixture into the pan and flatten the top. Put a lid on and immediately reduce the heat to low, and leave to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on how colored you want the bottom of the omelette.
After 3 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and slide half of the omelette onto a buttered plate, then fold the second half over itself as shown in the video. Transfer the plate to the oven and leave to cook for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how firm you like your soufflé omelette.
Just a minute before the omelette is cooked, warm up the rest of the liqueur in a small saucepan, avoiding any boiling, then set it aside ready for the flambé.
When ready, take the omelette out of the oven and serve directly on the table. Ignite the warm liqueur and pour it over the omelette for a dramatic flambé.
As soon as the flames subside, dig in!