Leek and Potato Soufflé With Ham and Fontina

Name: Leek and Potato Soufflé With Ham and Fontina
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds yellow-fleshed potatoes, like Yukon or Bintje, peeled and chopped; 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk; Salt and pepper; 2 tablespoons butter; 2 medium leeks, white and tender green parts, diced (about 2 cups); 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme; 2 garlic cloves, minced; Pinch cayenne; Grated nutmeg, to taste; 4 ounces thick-sliced cooked ham, diced; 4 ounces coarsely grated fontina or Gruyère; 3 eggs, separated; 1 tablespoon butter for buttering the baking dish; 1 ounce finely grated Parmesan

By David Tanis

Total Time: About 1 hour
Rating: 4(314)
Comments: Read comments

Contain your skepticism: A soufflé made with mashed potatoes doesn’t have to be heavy, as David Tanis revealed in 2012. “The two textures can complement each other, resulting in a dish that tastes light but has an underlying heartiness,” he says. This one gets added flavor from leeks and ham. If you’re new to soufflé-making, this is a good place to start. The potatoes provide a structure that a regular butter and flour roux don’t, he wrote, so it’s less likely to fall.

Featured in: City Kitchen: Airy Parcel, Hearty Flavors

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

1½pounds yellow-fleshed potatoes, like Yukon or Bintje, peeled and chopped
1½cups half-and-half or milk
Salt and pepper
2tablespoons butter
2medium leeks, white and tender green parts, diced (about 2 cups)
1teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2garlic cloves, minced
Pinch cayenne
Grated nutmeg, to taste
4ounces thick-sliced cooked ham, diced
4ounces coarsely grated fontina or Gruyère
3eggs, separated
1tablespoon butter for buttering the baking dish
1ounce finely grated Parmesan

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In well-salted water, boil the potatoes until tender, then drain, put in a large mixing bowl and mash with the half-and-half. Cool slightly.
Step 2
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened but still bright green, 3 to 4 minutes. Add thyme and garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the cooked leeks to the mashed potatoes and mix well. Add the cayenne, nutmeg, ham and Fontina or Gruyère. Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning. (It should be fairly well seasoned, as the egg, when added, will dilute the flavor.) Beat in the 3 egg yolks.
Step 3
Butter a 2-quart baking dish and sprinkle the bottom and sides with half the grated Parmesan.
Step 4
In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Stir ⅓ of the beaten whites into the potato mixture to lighten and thin it slightly. Quickly fold in the remaining whites, then scrape the soufflé batter into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining Parmesan.
Step 5
Bake for about 40 minutes, until nicely browned. Check the center for doneness with a paring knife or skewer. May rest 10 minutes before serving.

Ratings

4 out of 5

314 user ratings

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Comments

Ellen7 years ago

After 40 minutes, this was still nowhere near set. I raised the heat to 400 and it still took another 20 minutes to finish. There is too much milk/cream called for, resulting in a very soupy base, unlike any other I've ever encountered. Next time I'll cut it back to one cup. The end result was well worth waiting for, light and savory. I'm adding this tweaked recipe to my repertoire of things to do with leftover ham.

John Arrington7 years ago

I have made his dish about 10-15 times and it has always been spectacular and it has never taken more than 45 minutes to cook. The only change I make is to use about 5 yolks and 7 whites which creates a great amount of rise in the souffle. Today I used par boiled asparagus tips in place of the ham and there were no leftovers from our 4 guests.

Hut7 years ago

Try Celery Root instead of potatoes. I find the flavor of celery root to be quite subtle, read; often lost. This dish was a great place to use celery root. I used 1 lb. celery root and half a pound of potatoes. Thanks to another cook who shared that 1 cup of cream was sufficient.

Michelle11 months ago

I thought I would like this recipe based on all the positive reviews. This is a lot of work for really not great results. I am an experienced cook and did a good job prepping my ingredients and following the recipe. I was disappointed in the final product. The potatoes gave the soufflé a weird, grainy mouth feel and overall the soufflé was bland. You cannot taste the leeks. I would not make again.

me1 year ago

Need to reduce 1/2 n 1/2 maybe 3/4-1c. More eggs maybe 5-6 separated.

Nick1 year ago

Served as a family dinner dish to use up left over ham and received a mixed reception; the eggs made me think this is more of a brunch dish than a dinner dish. That said, it was delicious and I would make again - for a brunch!

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