Edible Ramekins

I'm trying to come up with something interesting for my final practical exam. Our ingredients are limited - VERY limited, and I am even more limited by the fact that the quality of many of the ingredients is dubious at best.

So.

One ide that crossed my mind for an app was to use shrimp shells and flesh to make a soufflé (à la Escoffier). Problem is, for this exam, presentation has to meet the highest standard. A ramekin on a plate is not really 'contemporary' by their standards.

My question is: Is it possible to concoct a vessel of sorts for such a soufflé? or is heat conduction from the ramekin critical for success? What about slipping this edible container inside a rameking and lifting the whole thing out at service? If this is doable, what should I use for the container? It would be nice to use some kind of crispy potato concept, but somehow I cannot fathom how it would work...

Help!?

Anneke I'll let you in on what I did once. I did a sort of off the beaten path surf and turf app.

I made light fluffy scrambled eggs with chives and served them in a lobster shell. On the same plate I made a shredded potato nest and place 2 cleaned out eggs filled with chopped lobster meat either in a souffle base or with glazed hollandaise.

Lobster = Surf
Eggs = Turf

Garnish with chives

If your ingredients are too limited use this idea as a starting point for inspiration.

That's a wonderful concept Chrose, thanks for sharing it.

Funny you should mention the egg thing. Last night I was thinking about using egg shells and though about Michel Gérard's famous creamed eggs with caviar. I was trying to borrow from the concept but thought an egg might be too small, and coudn't figure out how to balance the egg.

Using a couple of eggs might do the trick indeed, and I like the idea of a nest. It might not work however if I'm garnishing with whole shrimp...

Anyway, foods for thought. I have to think some more.. This is fun!

Anneke -- Potato baskets ("bird's nest" of deep-fried, shredded potatoes) are a good idea, especially as a texture contrast to a soft, airy souffle. I would cook the 2 items serarately (bake the souffle in a ramekin; fry the potato basket) and only combine the 2 at the time of plating. That would preserve the different textures, as well as the looks. Or maybe you could make a basket from some other shredded veg? What do you have to work with?

Other vegetable cases can also work -- what might you have available? Winter squash is good, although you will probably have to par-cook it first. (One of the best vegan dishes I ever had was spiced pumpkin "bisque" in a miniature pumpkin shell.) Or even a baked-potato shell: could be a really elegant contrast of earthy potato and ethereal souffle.

I like the sound of chrose's stuff, but personally I'm not a big fan of putting things on a plate that can't be eaten, unless the edible part already comes in it (e.g., lobster in its shell). But it sounds as though it could look beautiful. And that's important!

Hope this helps.

Accidentally did something right...

I had some leftover filling for a stuffed mushroom recipe. I added more egg a little flour and some grated Parmesan and put walnut-sized globs on an oiled sheet pan and threw them in the oven. When they came out they were thin and pliable, like a savory tuile. They were crispy yet delicate when cooled. I haven't purposely made them for an appetizer, but will in the future. I want to see if I can drape them over some sort of cone form before they cool and make some interesting shapes. Then fill it with whatever you want.
The ingredients-
Ground black olives
Ground drained canned artichokes
Ground fresh garlic
Pesto
Grated Swiss Cheese
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Bread Crumbs
Eggs
Dash of white wine
White flour
A little s+p
They are along the lines of a fried cheese, with the seasonings for flavor and the breadcrumbs, flour and eggs to bind it together and absorb some the oil from the cheese.

Another edible container idea:

Line a metal ring mold with buttered and seasoned potatoes, thinly sliced. Bake that off, then fill with your soffle mixture. When that's baked, lift off the ring.

I like that one. Nice and simple. Thanks. Must try it this weekend. I'll let you know...

I like phyllo, you can give it incredible shape.

Or brik dough...

Momo,

Could you please explain what is the difference between brik and phyllo?


Thanks!

Choux paste.

Kuan

Anneke are you being asked to make a souffle? I guess it seems sorta weird to me that they don't consider a ramekin a proper serving dish. It's only natural that you cook a souffle in a, guess what, souffle dish! :confused: You could try making some choux paste, spreading it on the inside of a souffle dish and baking it. Remove it, then bake the souffle inside the choux paste souffle dish.

Kuan

Brik is thin and delicate like phyllo, but slightly firmer when baked.. It is used in much the same way as phyllo, layered with butter.

Brik is unfortunately not on the ingredient list...
Kuan, I understand what you're saying and I agree. THis class however is less about traditional presentation and more about 'pushing the envelope' so to speak. Yes, I could present it in a soufflé dish. I just want to take it a step further, that's all.

Perhaps I missed the answer to this but what kind of souffle are you making? I've seen many dessert souffles baked in hallowed out citrus fruit halfs. Personally I'd go for the phyllo cup, you can do something very exact and nice with it.

Souffles are also commonly baked in crepes (in books not real life much), both sweet or savory. You can also form a crepe into a bowl shape in a muffin tin or bowl.

The most interesting thing I've seen with a souffle was dividing the container in half with a thin piece of cardboard or plastic. Then putting a different flavor on each side, pull out the divider and bake. That's my idea of a great souffle, two tastes in one. Souffles need great sauces or my palate gets board.

Also if it's savory you can make a cup out of thinly sliced bread, even season the bread to compliment.

Good Luck!

I'm thinking of a shrimp soufflé. I'm allowed 4.5 shrimps for 2 servings. :rolleyes:

I tried to make it earlier this week using ultra-concentrated fish stock and the shrimp shells infusing reducing cream. It wasn't bad by any stretch but it wasn't 'shrimpy' either. I don't want to put the flesh in, as I am saving those for garnish. I learned today that I am allowed to use my classmates shrimp shells if they aren't using them. That'll help the flavour.

Wendy, I love your idea of the crêpe. That just might be the ticket. I tried doing the potato thing but it wasn't working so well and the soufflé mixture leaked from the bottom. A nice crêpe tied with a blanched chive would be beautiful.

What were you thinking viz. sauces? I have no shrimp or shells left but I do have fish stock, basic vegetables, trout, crappy scallops, and a few other assorted things. Oh, I also have all-important cream. What do you suggest?

sorry to hear the potatoes didn't work for you. If you haven't completely given up on the idea, you can always line the bottom and sides with par-boiled potatoes, buttered well, and pre-browned. But the crepe sounds great too.

I haven't given up yet (it's much too good an idea!!)

I just need something foolproof for my test...

hi anneke.

have you considered using some sort of savory tuile or cheese frico?

you bake bake a tuile and drape it over a cup to make a free form edible ramekin, then serve the souffle inside of it.

bake your individual shrimp souflee in a buttered, floured ring-mold with a parchment paper extension and use tinfoil for the bottom.

maybe you could also try to infuse butter with your shrimp shells, then after it's strained and clarified you use it to make a hollandaise-type emulsion that you then fold your whites into and bake for the souflees.

for your rammekin you could use grana crisp, cumin tuiles, deep fried potato baskets (use two ladles of different sizes and flatten shredded potatoes between them, plunge into the deep-fryer), or any of the other good suggestions others have made.

To do the crepe...I've always put them in muffin tins (rings would work fine and be a better size) to hold their shape with the filling inside that is being baked. You have to press them into the bottom to be sure they'll bake with a flat bottom.

After you make your crepes you can use a cookie cutter or similar to scallop the edges of your crepes (if desired)...or you learn how to fold it cleanly to get an nice shape and tuck it into your rings. I can't concieve of how you'd tie these since it's open and filled? Or they also show crepes filled with souffles laying flat folded in half. I'm not sure what you mean?

You'll need to test out your removal from your rings with any of these choices....factors: if you use a tuile that's been draped/shaped over the top of a cup it still has to sit flat on the plate (they don't when formed over the top of a cup). Then when you flip it over for it to sit on the customers plate it has to fit size wise into your rings or muffin tins (usually a tuile molded over a cup flares rather wide). Unless when you rebake the tuile with the souffle in it, the tuile will hold shape and not melt down (but I think the tuile will slump).

Plus consider you don't want any of your crepe falling back over your ring because it's easiest if you can, to remove your rings by lifting up, if you have to take your rings off by taking the rings down you'll have to hold the hot souffle in your bare hand to do that.

I don't know the brand, but I've seen these crepes advertised in all the chefs magazine that you can buy premade. They brag about how they hold like phyllo when shaped. But that's probably not in your budget......

The potatoe baskets like to roll around which could make serving difficult....

The bread (use pepperidge farms thin bread) really does work well. You'd be supprised what you can do with it. Roll it with a pin so it's like a sheet of bread (butter it and pre-bake it to toast it) and people won't really know what it is lining your molds. It's much like phyllo when thin, a neutral tasting crunch.

flavour concerns

when working with your fish stock reduction, you might want to consider using a little star anise or tarragon...they will both produce a subtle undertone to your shrimp

Thanks for your really great ideas everyone...

Unfortunately, just as I was about to try the crepe thing tonight, I heard news of where the test will be held. It turns out it will be in a lab which has very tempermental ovens and I was highly discouraged from making any sort of soufflé. Ah the miscarriage of ideas! This bites. So it's back to the drawing board.

Going on the shrimp theme (why not!), I'm thinking of making a large ravioli filled with a shallot/veg mixture, the shrimp on top, and maybe a compound butter of some kind that would ooze out as you open the ravioli. (I just made that up).

Will keep you posted..

Two quick thoughts Anneke.
1) roast your shrimp shells a little to consentrate the oils, You will find a deeper aroma and flavor.

2) with respect, Be careful how you reduce a fish fumet, it should be mild and light. A heavy reduction I would not recommend to you.

I have done seafood souffles in the shells of sea urchin and the tails of lobsters. I normally serve this with a coral sauce.
cc

I know this might sound scarie but I have to tell you honestly, souffles aren't nearly as fragile as you'll read or hear, I treat them much like any other item because the really are just like most baked items. I DO open the oven during baking, even turn my sheets. Catering I worked in many different ovens and it's really quite a do-able product even in bad ovens (and you don't have to be an expert to do them either!), swear to god... I'm not leading you on. The mystic attitute about them is really from people who haven't made them.


I honestly believe that making a decent ravioli is far more challenging then a souffle.

Wendy I agree with you 100%. I make soufflés in my toaster oven for crying out loud!!

My main course took 2 !/2 hours to make when I practiced last night. THat leaves me NO time for a starter. So, I'm shooting for dead simple. I think the ravioli is out too. Mabe a simple risotto. I can do that with my eyes closed. Any ideas to 'dress it up' and make it look pretty?

Ooo: I could make a red wine risotto. That always looks (and tastes) pretty cool...

I think the key to everything is good balance. This means you have to manage your time. Know when and where you absolutely NEED to take extra time such as single clarifying a consomme, and where taking extra time doesn't matter that much, such as double clarifying or cutting an onion for stock. Perhaps 2.5 hours is too long for the main course, which means you'll have a lopsided menu. Speaking of lopsided, just don't do souffles in a convection oven.

Kuan

I'm fixing my main. It won't take me 2.5 hours. It did last time because I was practicing and still trying to figure out what I wanted. It'll be ok. I'm making a lemon risotto with some shrimp and scallops as garnish (tied with chives). Simple and pretty. And hopefully balanced! ;)

:D CC, has anyone ever told you that you sound like Yoda? :D

Yes Anneke, and use the force :)

Kuan

My Dear Kuan...
That would be the first time I was compaired to Yoda.:lol:
Although He was a very smart, and kind of cute :D

Anneke, Good luck with the Rissoto
cc

Do or don't do.......Hey kuan I've always worked out of convections and done alot of souffles in them.......just rotate the pan man:) Low fan works great every time and NEVER leave the doors partically open while waiting on plating, that's kicks the fan on too high and will deflate them everytime.