Crab Souffle for #Brunchweek

Could you hear my screams of delight the other night?  Did you wonder what all the excitement was about?  Here.....Let me show you.....

This, my friends, is my very first attempt at a souffle.  I have always been way too intimidated to try making a souffle in the past...and look....it is perfect!!!  I was thrilled and I was surprised at how easy peasy it was.  I don't know what I thought the process of making a souffle was but I certainly didn't think it was going to be so simple.  What the heck is all the hullabaloo about?  Why do they make it sound so touchy and tough?

Well, let me show you just how easy, peasy it is......

First you flake up your crabmeat and make sure to leave no pieces of shell or cartilage.  Actually, I failed this part and got a piece of shell in my souffle, so I might have gotten chopped.  My husband was quick to point out that I would only have gotten chopped if I was unlucky enough for one of the judges to get that tiny piece of shell because otherwise it was perfect.

You make a roux, using butter, flour and a little Dijon mustard.  The recipe called for dry mustard but I wanted the flavoring from the Dijon. I used these nifty tools when making this souffle.  Collapsible Measuring cup from Vidalia Onions and Nesting Measuring spoon from Kitchen IQ.  

Whisk in the milk and sherry.  Cook and stir until it comes to a boil and thickens.  Off heat, you stir in the crab, parsley, and cheese. Set this aside to cool a bit.

While the crab mixture is cooling, butter your souffle dish well and sprinkle with dried bread crumbs. The original recipe did not give an amount, it simply said to grease the dish.  I chose to use butter and a good amount as you can see...probably about 1 1/2 tablespoons.

Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and add the egg yolks to the crab mixture.

Gently fold the egg whites into the crab mixture, being careful to not over mix.  You want to see some of the egg whites streaking through.

Transfer to the Souffle dish, place it into a preheated oven and pray for 35-40 minutes.  I don't know if the praying part is necessary but I wasn't taking any chances!

Pull it out of the oven.  Snap photos before it falls and then do a happy dance all over your kitchen while your husband looks at you like you have lost your mind.

That's it....that is all there is to this souffle making stuff.  I see lots of souffles in my future.  One thing I will do differently is make individual souffles instead of one large because while it looked very impressive when it came out of the oven and brought to the table.......

It didn't plate beautifully.  However, you can see how light and fluffy it is and it tasted.....sublime. I am so proud of myself and so grateful to Brunch Week 2016 for giving me the nudge I needed to take this first step.

Speaking of Brunch Week we have a great giveaway sponsored by a lot of great companies including those that I featured in this post.

Here are prize packages that they have put together just for you.  You can enter to win these and many other great prize packages by going to my first #Brunchweek post of the week. 

Disclaimer: Thank you to #BrunchWeek Sponsors: Red Star Yeast, Dixie Crystals, Cabot Cheese, Vidalia Onion Committee, Sage Fruits, Nielsen-Massey, KitchenIQ, and Le Creuset for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #BrunchWeek. All opinions are my own.

Crab Souffle
adapted from Good Housekeeping

1 lb. lump crabmeat, picked over and flaked
4 T. butter
1/4 c, flour
1/2 t. Dijon mustard
1 c. milk
1 T. dry sherry
2 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 T. parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 T. butter, room temperature
1 T. dried bread crumbs
4 large eggs, separated + 1 large egg white
1/2 t. cream of tartar

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over med high heat.  Stir in the flour and mustard and cook until brown and nutty smelling.  Gradually whisk in the milk and sherry.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the crabmeat, cheese and parsley.  Allow to cool slightly and then stir in egg yolks.

Grease a souffle dish with the butter and sprinkle with the bread crumbs.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tarter until stiff. Gently fold the egg whites, 1/3 at a time, into the crab mixture.  Transfer to the treated souffle dish and place in a preheated 350* oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and puffed high.  Remove from oven and serve immediately.  Print Recipe

Now that we have all the paperwork out of the way....Let's see what the others are offering.

BrunchWeek Beverages:

• Aperol Cocktails by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Grapefruit Rosemary Mocktails by Sweet Beginnings
• Teh Tarik (Malaysian Pulled Tea) by Tara's Multicultural Table

BrunchWeek Breads, Grains and Pastries:

• Homemade Crumpets by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Apple Cinnamon Scones with Salted Caramel Drizzle by Family Around the Table
• Cannoli French Toast by Cooking In Stilettos
• Cinnamon Cobblestone Bread by My Catholic Kitchen
• Orange Popvers by The Chef Next Door
• Pretzel Bagels with Roasted Jalapeno Cream Cheese by The Texan New Yorker
• Strawberries and Cream Sweet Rolls by The Redhead Baker

BrunchWeek Fruits, Vegetables and Sides:

• Apple Fritters by The Suburban Soapbox
• Blueberry Salad with Green Onion-Poppy Seed Dressing by Love & Confections

BrunchWeek Egg Dishes:

• Caramelized onion, Bacon, and Cheddar Egg Tart by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Breakfast Quesadillas with Bacon and Cheesy Eggs by Casa de Crews
• Chorizo Egg Breakfast Skillet by Brunch-n-Bites
• Crab Souffle by A Day in the LIfe on the Farm
• Picante Omlette Pie by Feeding Big and more
• Slow Cooker Ham, Cheese, and Veggie Breakfast Casserole by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen

BrunchWeek Main Dishes:

• Curried Fish Tacos by Nik Snacks
• Ham and Mushroom Strata by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Mini Croque Monsieurs by Making Miracles
• Roman Breakfast Sandwich by Palatable Pastime
• Strawberry Chicken Salad by The Barbee Housewife
• Spiced Marinated Lamb Lollipops by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

BrunchWeek Desserts:

• Gluten Free Citrus Pastries by Gluten Free Crumbley