Baking Part VII
Crab Soufflé

Crab soufflé is easy to make and is rich and tasty.  It makes a nice entrée with salad for a lunch and a savory appetizer for dinner.  You can make the soufflé in a single soufflé dish or several large ramekins.

Ingredients for Infused Milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 cloves
1/4 small onion
1 bay leaf
6 black peppercorns
1 cup milk

Ingredients for Soufflé Roux
1 tablespoon butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Ingredients for Soufflé
3 egg yolks
1 lb. cooked crab meat
pinch of cayenne pepper
6 egg whites

A little melted butter.

Place a tray with a 1/4" of water in your oven so you will have a water bath in which to set the soufflé dish.  Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  

Rub a 2 quart soufflé dish or six 1/2 cup ramekins with butter.  I put a parchment collar on my soufflé dish, but it is probably not necessary.  The crab meat is so heavy it does not rise as much as the salmon soufflé I make.

Infused Milk
Press the cloves into the onion.  Put onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, butter, and milk into a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Take off the heat and let infuse for 10 minutes.  Then strain the milk.

Soufflé Roux
In a saucepan heated to medium low, melt the butter.  Add the shallot and cook for 3 minutes, stirring.  Do not let the shallot brown.  Stir in the flour to make a roux and cook for 3 minutes, stirring.  Do not let the roux brown.

Take the pan off the heat and gradually stir in the infused milk until smooth.  Place back on the heat and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring.

Soufflé 
Beat in the egg yolk, one at a time.  Beat each until fully incorporated.  Now stir in the crab meat and let heat until the mixture thickens; do not let it boil.  Pour into a large bowl and add the pinch of cayenne.

In a clean dry bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.  Spoon some of the egg whites into the soufflé custard and fold it to lighten the mixture.  Then fold in the rest of the egg whites.  Spoon into the soufflé dish or ramekins.

Place soufflé dishes in the tray in the oven.  Bake a single soufflé for 25 to 30 minutes.  Bake individual soufflé dishes for 12 to 15 minutes.  Test with a skewer; it should come out clean.  The soufflé will cook some between removal from the oven and serving.

Place individual soufflés on each plate with salad.  Place 2 quart soufflé dish on a tray or trivet; serve by scooping with a spoon inserted into the center, moving from the center to the edge.  Anoint each soufflé dish or each soufflé portion with a little melted butter.

Variation
Mock king crab meat is a lot cheaper than the real thing, so I tried it.  It has a lot of water in it, so it takes longer to cook.  It tastes O.K., but is a lot sweeter than real crab meat, due to the added sugar.  You would have to try it to see if you like it, but I would not make it a second time.