Soufflé of Poblanos & Corn
Serves 2-4
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp unsalted butter, for rubbing
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for coating
Salt
4 ears of corn, shucked
2 roasted poblano chiles
1/4 pound thickly sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch strips
1 cup milk
Freshly ground pepper
3 large egg yolks
2 cups shredded Finlandia cheese (6 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme
6 large egg whites
Directions
1- Preheat the oven to 350°. Generously butter a 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish and coat it with the Parmesan.
2- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add salt and the corn and boil over high heat just until tender, about 5 minutes.
3- Roast the chiles for 30 minutes until the skin is blackened. Steam in a bad for 10 minutes until cool and then peel the skin off the chile flesh. Remove the stem and the seeds, and roughly chop the chiles.
3- Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook the bacon over high heat for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to moderate and cook until browned, about 5 minutes longer.
4- Using tongs, transfer the corn cobs to a plate. Drain off the water and return the saucepan to the stove. Cut the corn kernels from the cobs; you should have 2 1/2 cups.
5- Put 2 cups of the kernels and all chopped chiles into the saucepan and add the milk. Simmer over moderate heat until the milk has reduced by one-third, about 5 minutes.
6-Transfer the corn, poblanos and milk to a blender and puree until very smooth. Scrape the puree into a large bowl and stir in the bacon and the remaining 1/2 cup of corn kernels. Season lightly with salt and pepper and stir in the egg yolks, the cheese and thyme. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool to room temperature.
7- In a large stainless steel bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt at high speed until they hold firm peaks. Stir one-third of the whites into the corn / poblano base to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whites until just blended.
8- Scrape the mixture into the prepared soufflé dish and bake for 45 minutes, or until nicely browned and slightly jiggly in the center. Serve right away.