Soufflé de bacalhau
There we were five years ago, taking a day trip to Macau, from Hong Kong. It’s often on any tourists agenda the first time they hit up Honkers, so why not join the flock, right?
Those that like to part with their money – or hopefully score some – know its a gambling mecca. More interesting to me is its Portuguese heritage, thanks to the empire leasing the city to Portugal as a trading port during the 16th century.
Anyone that’s visited Macau also probably knows it’s a magnet for those of us that have a penchant for glorious pastéis de nata. That would be a custard tart, for the uninitiated.
Our time in Macau was brief, but we did leave with full bellies thanks to lunching at a fab Portuguese restaurant tucked off the main square.
And that’s where this recipe for bacalhau soufflé comes into the picture. The one we tried in Macau kind of blew me away, and I vowed to replicate it sometime. Incredibly moist, loaded with cod and garlic and beautifully burnished on top.
This was a soufflé like no other. Yes it was puffed when it arrived at the table, but it was way wetter than your average soufflé. The recipe I’ve got for you here isn’t like that beauty, unfortunately, but it is true to what you may get in Portugal.
It’s not evident in the photos, but it was, in fact, beautifully puffed before I started snapping pictures. All it takes is 30 seconds and the drama is lost. At least the flavour is still there!
Adapted from here
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servings
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- 250 g bacalhau (salted cod)
- 70 g butter plus extra to grease ramekins
- 50 g flour
- 250 ml milk
- 60 g sharp cheddar cheese
- 40 g Parmesan cheese grated
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ¼ tsp nutmeg finely grated
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- 5 eggs separated
- Crusty bread to serve
Ingredients
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- To prepare the bacalhau, soak it in water in the fridge for 48 hours, changing the water 2 to 3 times. This removes the excess salt. Drain the cod well and gently squeeze out the excess water. Remove the skin, any bones or sinewy bits - discard these. Flake the cod and set aside until needed.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When it's melted, add the flour and stir it in with a wooden spoon. Allow it to simmer until it starts to develop a white foam, continue cooking for 20 to 30 seconds, then stir in the milk.
- As soon as it begins to thicken, turn off the heat and stir in both cheeses, reserved egg yolks, parsley, nutmeg and seasoning. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and set it aside.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease 6 ramekins generously with butter and sit them on a baking tray.
- Whisk the egg whites in a clean and dry bowl until stiff. Add ¼ of the whites to the cod mixture and gently fold it through. Gently fold in the remaining whites and then scoop the mixture evenly into the buttered ramekins. You can sprinkle over a little more grated parmesan, if you like.
- Put the tray of ramekins into the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Serve immediately with crusty bread.
