Montage Laguna Beach is one of our favorite local places to eat. Montage is located right on the beach, so as soon as you enter the lobby, you are welcomed by the astounding view of the ocean. The resort offers three different dining options, the Studio, the Loft, and Mosaic Bar & Grill. We usually eat at the Loft, but have also eaten at the Mosaic, which offers a more casual dining option. Since we keep halal, we end up ordering fish, their vegetarian options, and of course dessert and coffee. I highly recommend their Seared Tuna and Soba Noodles, and Mahi Mahi on Parmesan Bread. My toddler loves their Truffle Pizza, and Salmon. They offer seasonal desserts. They use organic ingredients, and their coffee is locally sourced.
Montage not only offers excellent flavors, but they also offer excellent service. Their hospitality makes us feel valued. Their service makes us want to keep going back to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions. Our toddler has been going there since she was a baby, and they have always been exceptionally accommodating to her needs. I cannot recommend this resort highly enough. The other bonus is that after enjoying their delicious meal, and excellent service, you get to take a romantic stroll on the beach.
Fig & Olive, Newport Beach is a recent discovery. So far we have only eaten there once. We have had their Mediterranean Brunch, offered only on weekends. The brunch consists of a nice spread. An assortment of cheeses and olives. Their salmon sushi was okay. I really liked their Farro Salad with Tomatoes. I devoured Fig and Tomato Pizza, which is the reason I cannot wait for us to go back there. They also have a really nice selection of desserts, parfaits, and granola. The service was excellent. The ambiance was beautiful. We recently discovered that their lamb and beef are actually halal, which we didn't know before. So my carnivore husband is also eager for us to go back there.
When it comes to special occasions my husband takes us out for a meal, and I return the favor by making a dessert. If you love baking, and you want to show someone how much you love them; Strawberry and Mango Souffle is the dessert for you. Here is the story behind this divine dessert. I knew, I wanted to make souffle for Valentine's day because nothing is more ethereal and romantic than a warm souffle. I also knew I wanted to make a strawberry souffle. But, all of the recipes I came across seemed very one dimensional. They consisted of only egg whites, and a berry jam.
So in my pursuit for a flavorful berry dessert, I turned to my wise sister. She suggested, instead of just making a strawberry souffle, I should also incorporate mangoes. And instead of using just cream in the custard for souffle, I should also include coconut milk. So my awesome sister's brilliance paid off, and I ended up with the most flavorful dessert I have ever made. I hope my sister is reading this ode to her unwavering awesomeness :).
I won't lie, this souffle is time consuming, but you end up with such a delicious Strawberry and Mango Souffle that you will not mind all of the hard work that went into making it. The souffle has tropical berry undertones, with the warmth of a delicious custard, and the sultriness of warm dark chocolate. This is the ultimate romantic dessert, my friends.
Strawberry and Mango Souffle
Strawberry and Mango Souffle, with tropical berry undertones, ethereal custard, and sultry dark chocolate.Also, read my reviews of Montage Laguna Beach and Fig & Olive.http://www.cultivateflavors.blogspot.com/2016/02/strawberry-and-mango-souffle-in-step17.html
Posted by Cultivate Flavors on Friday, February 12, 2016
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Baking Time: 20-25 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Jam
6 ounces of strawberry (using frozen)
6 ounces of mango (using frozen)
2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
a few drops of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of corn starch
Zest of a lemon
Custard
150 ml of whole milk
50 ml of fresh whipping cream
50 ml of coconut milk (the top creamy part)
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
1 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of all purpose flour
Meringue
3 egg whites
a few drops of fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
For coating ramekins
Butter (at room temperature)
1/4 cup of dark chocolate (grated)
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2: Zest a lemon. Set aside.
Step 3 - JAM: In a saucepan, over medium heat, add strawberries, mango, sugar, and a few drops of lemon juice. Cook until the fruit has softened. Refer to the video.
Step 4 - JAM: Once the fruit mixture is bubbling add corn starch, and mix well. Transfer it into a blender, and make a puree.
Step 5 - JAM: Transfer the puree back into the saucepan. Add zest of a lemon. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the jam has thickened. Set aside to cool.
Step 6 - CUSTARD: In a saucepan over medium heat bring milk, cream, and coconut milk to a boil. In the meantime whisk together egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract, and flour.
Step 7 - CUSTARD: Take a ladle of the milk mixture and mix it rigorously with the egg mixture. Slowly pour the remaining milk mixture. Continue whisking.
Step 8 - CUSTARD: Pour the custard mixture back into the saucepan, and put the pan back on medium heat. Continue whisking. Once the mixture thickens switch to using a spatula. Cook until the custard disassociates itself from the pan, almost turns into a ball about 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Step 9 - COATING RAMEKINS: While, the base and jam are cooling, prepare the ramekins. Using a pastry brush generously coat the ramekins with butter. Brush upwards around the ramekins using vertical strokes. This guides the souffle to rise evenly. Coat the moulds with grated chocolate. Place them in the freezer until needed.
Step 10 - JAM + CUSTARD = BASE: Whisk together the jam and custard mixtures until well incorporated.
Step 11 - MERINGUE: In a stand-mixer, whisk egg whites and a few drops of lemon. Once the egg whites start thickening gradually add sugar, little by little. Whisk until egg whites have soft peaks.
Step 12 - BASE + MERINGUE: Take 1/3 of the meringue and whisk it into the base mixture. This ensures that there are no lumps in the souffle. Don't worry about deflating the eggs.
Step 13 - BASE + MERINGUE: Gently fold in the remaining meringue into the base mixture. I like to do this in two steps. Keep turning the bowl as you are gently folding the meringue into the base mixture.
Step 14: Using a ladle, fill each ramekin to the top. Flatten the top of each ramekin by scraping across the surface with a blade of a knife. Tap the ramekins. Refer to the video.
Step 15: Run the tip of your thumb around the inside edge of each of the ramekins to separate the souffle mixture from the ramekins. Refer to the video.
Step 16: Place the ramekins on a baking dish. Place in the oven.
Step 17: Bring the oven temperature down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until risen.
No comments:
Post a Comment