When Daniel and I made this soufflé our mangoes were delicious and very sweet, so we reduced the quantity of sugar. Taste your mango purée to see whether you need more or less sugar. A desert soufflé is usually based on a crème patissière, which is a pastry cream or custard, made with flour; some fruit soufflés may be made flourless, such as this one, which is made with a ‘confiture russe’, a fresh purée beaten for half an hour or more with sugar so that the mixture ‘cooks’ slightly, but still retains its fresh flavour.
Serves 6
6 x 1 ¼ cup soufflé moulds; smaller are fine, you will just need a couple more
For the moulds
Melted butter
Castor sugar
For the soufflé
¼ cup castor sugar, less if the mangoes are very sweet, so taste the purée and decide
1 tsp lemon juice
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites
½ tsp cream of tartar
¼ cup icing sugar
Pre-heat the oven to 190°C. Melt the butter in a small pot and butter the soufflé moulds with upward brush strokes, making sure they are well coated. Upward brush strokes, help the soufflé to rise. Sprinkle the bottom and the sides with castor sugar, tipping out any excess into the next soufflé mould. Place the dishes onto a baking sheet; do not touch the insides.
Select ripe, flavoursome mangoes. Peel and slice them, discarding the pips; put the pulp into the food processor, add the lemon juice and purée. Taste for sweetness and add up to the ¼ cup of sugar and process again.
Pour the mixture into a saucepan to make the ‘confiture russe’. Stew the purée over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring from time to time, so it does not burn. The mixture will thicken and become syrupy, from the sugar and as it loses moisture. When thickened, remove from the heat and cool for ten minutes. Stir in the egg yolks, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.
In an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they reach soft peaks. Gradually add the icing sugar and continue to beat until the whites are firm and fluffy.
Fold the egg whites into the mango mixture, a third at a time, very gently so you do not deflate the whites. Once the mixture is well incorporated, spoon the mixture into the soufflé moulds. Fill to the top and smooth the surface with the palette knife. Clean the side and top edge of the soufflé pot so they rise evenly and the pots are clean when cooked.
Bake twelve minutes for larger moulds and about 9 minutes for smaller ones. When they are ready, golden and well risen, turn off the oven and leave them in the oven for a few minutes as they continue to rise.
Set the serving plates out with a small napkin on each plate to stop the dishes from slipping and for you to hold the hot dish with whilst you eat the soufflé.
Serve the soufflés with a dusting of icing sugar on top. It is also nice to serve the soufflé with a small jug of warm mango coulis, flavoured with some Bundaberg or Bacardi rum.
