Guest chef: Gabriel Gaté’s Grand Marnier soufflé

This classic French dessert is fun to make but requires a little care.

Gabriel Gaté’s Grand Marnier soufflés.

This classic French dessert is fun to make but requires a little care. When eggs are cooked they become firm, so a well-cooked soufflé is firm — but only for a short time. Don’t be in too much of a hurry to remove it from the oven; if it falls, it is not cooked enough. The crème pâtissière can also be used in fruit tarts; you can make it lighter by adding a little whipped cream to the cold custard.

GRAND MARNIER SOUFFLÉS

Gabriel Gate.

60ml Grand Marnier | 310ml crème pâtissière (recipe follows), chilled | 6 large egg whites | Pinch of cream of tartar | 1 tablespoon caster sugar, plus extra for preparing moulds | Icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 150°C. Butter six 185ml soufflé moulds and dust with caster sugar. Whisk Grand Marnier into crème pâtissière. Using electric beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until almost stiff. Add caster sugar and beat until firm. Using a large metal spoon or rubber spatula, mix a little of the egg white mixture into crème pâtissière; gently fold in the rest. Spoon mixture into prepared moulds, making sure it doesn’t touch the rim, and smooth tops with a spatula. Bake for 5 minutes, then increase temperature to 205°C. Bake for a further 5 minutes, then increase temperature to 230°C and bake for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, dust with a little icing sugar and serve immediately. If a short delay is unavoidable, leave in the oven at the lowest possible temperature for a few more minutes. Makes 6

CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE

500ml milk | ½ vanilla pod, split lengthwise | 4 egg yolks | 100g caster sugar | 50g plain flour, sifted

Place milk and vanilla pod in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and whisk well. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl for 2 minutes. Whisk in sifted flour. Remove vanilla pod from milk and pour hot milk into the egg-yolk mixture, whisking well. Return to saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. When mixture is just boiling and has thickened, transfer to a heatproof bowl. Whisk for a few seconds more, then set aside to cool. Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to four days. Makes 625ml

Gabriel Gaté is the author of 24 cookbooks and a pioneer of French gastronomy in Australia. Recipes from So French So Sweet by Gabriel Gaté (Hardie Grant, $30), out June 1