Rhubarb soufflé

Ben Bayly’s Rhubarb soufflé + pain de d'épices ice cream

I feel like everyone has rhubarb in their backyard and does nothing with it. This recipe will take that plant that you wonder why it’s in your garden to a decadent and impressive dessert. Be super ready for serving this dish, once your soufflé is in the oven there is no going back! Pairs well with a classic Sauternes

Ingredients

Rhubarb soufflé

1kg diced rhubarb
1000 mls rhubarb juice
250g frozen raspberries
500mls strong hibiscus tea
450 sugar
300 mls rhubarb juice
150g cornflour

Pain d’épices

120 ml milk
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp nutmeg powder
4 star anise
1 tsp vanilla paste
50 g crystallized ginger
8 g lemon zest
8 g orange zest
400 g warm honey
280 g rye flour
120 g plain flour
28 g baking powder
80 g sugar
5 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg power (each, combined to garnish)

Pain d’épices ice cream

2L milk
1L cream
2 cinnamon sticks (crushed)
2 star anise
10g vanilla paste
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
600 g sugar
100 g dextrose
100 g honey
20 g egg based ice cream stabilizer
500 g egg yolks
5 g salt

For the soufflé molds

200g soufflé base
150g egg whites
50g sugar

Directions

Rhubarb soufflé

Soufflé Base:

Cook all of the ingredients in a pot for around an hour till the rhubarb has completely broken down and the mix has thickened
Cook the juice and cornflour for 10 minutes to ensure cornflour is completely cooked out, then remove from heat and blend.
Chill
Divide the mix into 200g portions and freeze what you don’t need. 200g makes about 4 portions.

Pain d’épices

Infuse the milk with the spices and zest, clingfilm and leave to cool.
Whisk together with egg and honey and then whisk into the dry ingredients.
Bake in a baking dish for 25 minutes.
Pull apart and dehydrate fully, then pulse to crumbs.
Fry in foaming butter for a few minutes till toasted, pass and put out onto paper towels.
Season with sugar and mixed spice.

Pain d’épices ice cream

Whisk egg yolks, sugar, dextrose, honey, and stabilizer together. Set aside.
Whisk in milk and cream. Place it all into a large pot.
Warm the mix up to 82℃ while constantly stirring.
Pass the ice-cream mix through a fine sieve.
Hand blend then age overnight before churning.
Once churned, fold 2 cups of cool pain de d’épices through the ice-cream and place in the freezer.

For the soufflé molds

Getting the soufflé molds right is pivotal!

Chill the soufflé molds in the fridge.

Using soft butter, brush the insides of the soufflé molds until completely coated.

Chill the molds again to set the butter and repeat the process so there are two coats of butter.

Dust The inside of the soufflé molds with fine caster sugar.this process will stop the soufflé from sticking to the porcelain when you bake it.

For the Soufflé and to serve the dish.

Whisk base till smooth.
Whip egg whites, adding sugar gradually, until thickened.
Fold the whipped egg whites into the base into thirds.
Pipe into molds and flatten with a spatula, level with the soufflé mold
Bake at 175℃ for 7-8 min
While the soufflé is baking, prepare the plates.
Place a small pile of pain de pieces on the plate and scoop the ice-cream onto the crumbs to stop it slipping around.
Once the soufflé has risen 4 cm remove from the oven & dust with icing sugar and Serve! quick!