Aqua’s Black Mussel Soufflé

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. 

Butter and flour 10 four-ounce soufflé dishes or a large soufflé dish. 

Finely mince 8 of the shallots and place in a large saute pan. Add the garlic and 2 cups of the Chardonnay. Simmer over medium heat until the wine has cooked away and the mixture is almost dry. This should take 15 to 20 minutes.

Set aside to cool. Mince the remaining 5 shallots. Heat the. olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the shallots and saute until translucent, about 1 minute. Add the mussels, the remaining 4 cups wine and the parsley.

Cover and simmer until the mussels open, about 10 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels. Strain the cooking liquid and set aside. Remove the mussels from their shells and finely chop. Set aside.

To make the souffle base: Bring the milk and butter to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the flour, stirring constantly, until a stiff batter forms. Reduce the heat and continue to cook and stir for 5 to 7 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and shiny. Pour into the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on low speed for 5 minutes, until the batter has cooled. Beat in the egg yolks 1 at a time, then blend in the shallot reduction and the chopped mussels. Using an electric mixer on high speed, whip the egg whites with the salt and cornstarch until they hold medium-firm peaks, about 5 to 7 minutes. Use a spatula to fold the whites into the souffle base. Portion into the prepared souffle molds.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the souffles are golden and rise about 1 1/2 inches above the rim of the molds. If making one large souffle, bake approximately 35 minutes.

To make the sauce: While the souffles are baking, place the reserved mussel-cooking liquid in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until reduced by half. This should take 10 to 15 minutes. Add the cream and reduce for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Serve the souffles the moment they come from the oven, with the warm sauce on the side.