Cranachan Soufflé

STEP 1: MAKE THE ICE CREAM (THE DAY BEFORE)

Warm the milk and cream with the split vanilla pod, its seeds and the grated tonka bean until hot but not boiling. Take off the heat, cover and infuse for 30 minutes. Whisk the yolks, caster sugar, liquid glucose and salt to a pale ribbon. Reheat the infused dairy, pour it slowly onto the yolks while whisking, then return everything to the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until it reaches 180–183°F (82–84°C) and coats the back of the spoon. Strain through a fine sieve into a cold bowl, cool over ice, then refrigerate at least 4 hours and preferably overnight — an aged custard churns better. Churn until thick, transfer to a container and freeze hard overnight.

STEP 2: SHAPE THE QUENELLES (THE DAY BEFORE, OR UP TO 3 HOURS AHEAD)

Chill a small tray in the freezer. Once the ice cream is firm, shape four quenelles with two hot, dried spoons, set them on the cold tray and return them to the freezer uncovered for 30 minutes, then cover. This removes the one job that cannot be rushed from the two minutes after the soufflé comes out of the oven.

STEP 3: MACERATE THE RASPBERRIES (AT LEAST 2 HOURS AHEAD)

Toss the raspberries gently with the whisky, caster sugar and lemon juice. Cover and leave at room temperature for 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight and bring back to room temperature before serving. Do not stir again — they will collapse. The whisky quantity is deliberately restrained; the raspberries should read as whisky-scented, not soaked.

STEP 4: MAKE THE GRANOLA

Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Melt the butter and honey together, then stir through the rolled oats, flaked almonds and flaky sea salt until everything is coated. Spread on a lined baking sheet and bake for 15–18 minutes, stirring once at the halfway point, until deep golden. It will still be soft coming out of the oven and crisps as it cools. Cool completely, break into clusters and stir through the bee pollen. Keep the salt where it is — the salinity is what makes the granola work against the soufflé, and pulling it back undoes the dish.

STEP 5: MAKE THE RASPBERRY REDUCTION

Cook the raspberries with the caster sugar and lemon juice over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, crushing them as they soften, until thick and jammy. Push through a fine sieve and discard the seeds. You want roughly ½ cup (120 ml) of thick, glossy purée. If it is loose, return it to the pan and reduce further — a wet purée will weigh down the soufflé and is the most common cause of a poor rise. Cool completely. This can be made two days ahead.

STEP 6: PREPARE THE RAMEKINS

Brush the ramekins with softened butter in upward strokes only, from base to rim — the soufflé climbs the direction you brush. Chill for 10 minutes, then brush a second coat, again upwards. Add a spoonful of caster sugar to each, rotate to coat the sides completely and tip out the excess. Chill until needed. Sloppy ramekin prep is the usual cause of an uneven rise.

STEP 7: MAKE THE SOUFFLÉ BASE

Heat the milk with the vanilla to just below a simmer. Whisk the yolks, caster sugar and cornstarch together until smooth. Pour the hot milk over, whisking, then return to the pan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until very thick — about 2 minutes after it comes to a boil. It should be stiff enough to hold the mark of the whisk. Beat in the cooled raspberry reduction. Press cling film onto the surface and cool to just warm. This can sit for up to 2 hours; whisk it smooth again before use.

STEP 8: WHIP, FOLD AND FILL

Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a baking sheet inside — the hot tray gives the base of each soufflé an immediate lift. Using an electric whisk, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar to soft peaks, then add the caster sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking to a firm, glossy meringue that just holds a peak. Do not take it to stiff and dry. Whisk a third of the meringue into the raspberry base to loosen it, then fold in the rest in two additions with a large spoon, stopping the moment there are no white streaks. Fill the ramekins to the brim, level the tops with a palette knife, and run your thumb around the inside rim to cut a clean channel. Wipe the rims.

STEP 9: BAKE

Slide the ramekins onto the hot baking sheet and bake for 12–14 minutes, until risen by about an inch and a half with a faint wobble at the center. Do not open the oven before 11 minutes. While they bake, get the plates out and the quenelles, raspberries and granola to hand — from here the dish will not wait.

STEP 10: SERVE IMMEDIATELY

Dust the soufflés with icing sugar and take them straight to the table on saucers. Alongside each, place a frozen quenelle of tonka bean ice cream, a spoonful of the whisky raspberries with a little of their syrup, and a scatter of granola. The intended eating is a spoon that breaks the crust and takes the ice cream in the same mouthful — that hot-cold contrast is the whole point of the dish.

NO-CHURN SEMIFREDDO FALLBACK

Without an ice cream machine: whip 1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream to soft peaks. Separately whisk 4 egg yolks with ⅓ cup (70 g) caster sugar over simmering water until pale, thick and warm, then whisk off the heat until cool. Fold in the cream, the grated tonka bean and the vanilla, pour into a lined loaf tin and freeze overnight. It sets firmer than an ice cream and holds its shape on a warm plate better, which for this dish is an advantage.

COOK'S NOTES

The ice cream uses five yolks and the soufflé five whites; the soufflé base needs three further yolks, so eight yolks in total. Made on consecutive days, the whites keep in the fridge for three days and whip better slightly aged than fresh. If the soufflé leans, suspect the ramekin: butter upwards, twice, with a chill between coats. If it will not rise, the base was too wet or the meringue overwhipped. If the ice cream will not set, the custard was not refrigerator-cold before churning. The granola crisps as it cools, not in the oven — if still soft when cold, return it to a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 minutes.