Gluten-free Crab and Wild Garlic Souffle

Add a touch of lightness to your festive meal with this Crab and Wild Garlic Soufflé . Perfect as a Christmas starter, this soufflé combines the sweetness of crab with the slightly herbaceous freshness of wild garlic. Easy to make, but best baked just before serving, it's sure to delight your guests. An ideal starter to begin a Christmas meal on a gourmet and delicate note.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time 25 minutes

Total time 40 minutes

Cooking method: Traditional

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 4

Special diet: suitable for gluten-free diet

Ingredients

200g of crab meat
3 eggs (whites and yolks separated, at room temperature)
100 ml of milk
2 tablespoons of wild garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons of butter
50g grated cheese or Parmesan)
a pinch of nutmeg (optional)
salt, pepper, Espelette pepper

Preparation

1
To prepare the soufflé base: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and butter and flour four ramekins (using gluten-free flour). In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Dissolve the cornstarch in a tablespoon of water and add it to the saucepan. Mix well to obtain a smooth paste (a roux). Gradually pour in the milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Let it thicken over low heat until you obtain a smooth béchamel sauce. Off the heat, stir in the egg yolks, crabmeat, wild garlic, Gruyère cheese, salt, pepper, Espelette pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Mix well.
2
Whisk the egg whites: Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, adding a pinch of salt. Gently fold them into the crab mixture, being careful not to deflate the whites to maintain their lightness.
3
Cooking the soufflés: Distribute the mixture into the ramekins, filling them to three-quarters full to allow room for the soufflé to rise.
4
Place the ramekins in a gratin dish, then pour hot water into the dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins for a bain-marie cooking.
5
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the soufflés are golden brown and puffed up. Do not open the oven before they are fully cooked!
6
Serve immediately: Remove the soufflés from the oven and serve them right away, before they collapse. I unfortunately waited too long and they did! But they were still delicious.

Keywords: gluten-free Christmas recipes, festive crab appetizer, wild garlic soufflé, soufflé recipe