Sweet Cheese Souffle with Compote of Cherries
Sweet Cheese Souffle with Compote of Cherries

To me summer has always meant cherries, mostly big, sweet, crisp black cherries from Washington State or even locally grown ones. The one thing that has always eluded me about them was how to use them in a dessert.

Cherry pies, tarts or crumb cakes are all best made with sour cherries, and substituting sweet ones just doesn't provide the right flavor. So I was thrilled when I received an e-mail from Chef Marcus Lindner of Restaurant Mesa in Zurich, Switzerland, offering me a recipe for a sweet cheese souffle accompanied by a spiced, vanilla-scented compote of sweet cherries.

Back in March a friend invited me to lunch at Mesa. I have to confess that the name conjured up visions of Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill in New York, and I wondered why someone would be preparing American Southwest food in Zurich of all places. The stark but elegant ultra-contemporary decoration of the restaurant was a hint that I had been wrong. Chef Lindner has already garnered his first Michelin star there (I'm sure more are on the way), and our lunch was a symphony of flavors well orchestrated with the freshest and best local ingredients. Contemporary without ever being crazy, the food at Mesa is flavorful in the extreme and primarily light, even when rich ingredients are used, so that we left with a feeling of satisfaction rather than one of satiety. Zurich is the most prosperous city in Europe and is finally taking its place at the table as a world-class restaurant city. Mesa is a prime example of the trend.

Impressed with the food, I immediately asked the chef for a recipe that would be doable for home cooks. I have to confess that I wondered if it were possible, given the exalted status of the restaurant and Chef Lindner's experience at the helm of such grand houses as the Hotel Ermitage in Kuesnacht outside Zurich, the Grand Hotel Park in Gstaad, and the Restaurant Terrasse of the spectacular Grand Hotel Victoria Jungfrau in Interlaken. I'm happy to report that the recipe is a dream of simplicity, ease of preparation, excellent flavor, and finally, a great dessert that uses sweet cherries.

Don't be intimidated by the idea of making a souffle. I always joke that a prefect souffle is much easier to prepare than perfect fried eggs. You can even get everything ready before dinner and pop the souffles into the oven 15 minutes before you want to serve them - just carefully follow the directions for whipping the egg whites, and you'll have an enormous success. Here's a well-kept secret about souffles: as long as you use individual molds, they always turn out perfectly.

Sweet Cheese Souffle with Compote of Cherries

Ricotta is the best substitute for the type of cheese normally used in Switzerland. The baked souffles have a flavor and texture like a light and airy version of cheesecake.

Adapted from Chef Marcus Lindner, Restaurant Mesa, Zurich

Makes 6 individual souffles in 4-ounce ramekins

CHERRY COMPOTE

1 cup dry red wine

1 cup inexpensive Port

1 cup sugar

1 4-inch cinnamon stick

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2 small bay leaves

2 pieces star anise

1 pound sweet cherries, pitted and halved

SWEET CHEESE SOUFFLE

1/3 cup whole milk or part-skim ricotta

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup sugar, divided

1/4 cup cornstarch (spoon into dry-measure cup and level off)

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

3 large eggs, separated

Pinch salt

6 4-ounce porcelain ramekins, buttered and sugared, placed in a small roasting pan or gratin dish

1. For the compote, combine the wines, sugar and seasonings in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes. Add the cherries, return to a boil, remove from heat and pour into a glass or stainless steel bowl to cool. Cover and chill -- may be prepared up to several days in advance. Before serving, remove the spices and pour the chilled compote into a serving bowl. (The photo shows the spices still in the compote, but it's safer to remove them since they're not meant to be eaten.)

2. For the souffle, set a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. (If you decide to make the souffle batter in advance, preheat the oven about 30 minutes before you intend to serve the souffles.)

3. Place the ricotta in a medium mixing bowl and whisk in the sour cream, a little at a time. In a small bowl, stir together half the sugar and the cornstarch, then whisk into the cheese mixture. Whisk in the zests and the egg yolks.

4. Combine the egg whites and salt in a clean dry mixer bowl and use the whisk attachment to whip the egg white until they are holding a very soft peak. Increase speed to medium-high and whip in the remaining sugar a little at a time, continuing to whip the whites until they hold a soft peak. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold the cheese mixture into the egg whites.

5. Fill the molds to within 1/4-inch of the top. Pour hot water into the larger pan to a depth of about 1/2 inch. Bake the souffles until they are risen and golden, about 15 minutes.

6. Serve immediately, placing the molds on dessert dishes. Each guest should pierce the top of the souffle and pour in a few tablespoons of the cherry compote.

Nick Malgieri is the award-winning author of "Perfect Cakes ," "A Baker's Tour: Nick Malgieri's Favorite Baking Recipes from Around the World ," and "Perfect Light Desserts: Fabulous Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and More Made with Real Butter, Sugar, Flour, and Eggs, All Under 300 Calories Per Generous Serving "

 

All of Nick Maglieri's Dessert and Recipes Books are available by clicking here at Amazon.com

 

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Sweet Cheese Souffle with Compote of Cherries - Nick Malgieri Recipe

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