Egg Soufflé with Crayfish and Truffle

Method

1. If you are using crayfish, bring a large pan of water to a boil with the coarse salt and peppercorns.
2. Drop in the crayfish, cook them for 2 minutes and lift them into the iced water.
3. Twist off the tails and claws, peel the tails and crack the claws to pick out the meat; keep all the heads and shells. If you are using prawns, peel them raw and keep the heads and shells.
4. Pull out the dark vein along the back of each tail.
5. For the sauce, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the medium saucepan over medium-high heat and fry the heads and shells for 4–5 minutes, pressing them with a spoon, until red and toasty-smelling.
6. Add the shallot and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
7. Pour in the brandy, let it bubble away, then add the stock and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
8. Strain through the sieve, pressing hard on the shells, and return the liquid to the pan.
9. Add the cream and boil for 3–4 minutes, until reduced to about 150 ml and lightly thickened; season with salt and keep warm.
10. Set aside 20 of the nicest spinach leaves for decoration.
11. Fry the mushrooms in 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes.
12. Add the 3 tbsp stock and the lemon juice and simmer for about 5 minutes, until almost dry; stir in the truffle paste, season and set aside.
13. Whip the 50 ml cream to soft peaks and refrigerate it.
14. Toast the bread.
15. Set the steamer basket over a pan with 3 cm of water and bring it to a bare simmer.
16. Butter the rings and stand them on squares of buttered baking paper in the basket, or butter the ramekins.
17. Whisk the egg whites with the salt and white pepper to soft peaks, add the lemon juice and keep whisking until firm.
18. Spoon a 2 cm layer of white into each mould, make a hollow in the middle and slide in a yolk.
19. Cover each yolk with the rest of the whites and smooth the tops.
20. Cover and steam over barely simmering water for 4–5 minutes, until the whites are set and springy and the yolks still soft; for a set yolk, steam for 7–8 minutes.
21. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the second frying pan over medium-high heat and add the crayfish or prawn tails and claw meat with the minced garlic and parsley.
22. Pour in the brandy, cover and cook for 1 minute (2 minutes for raw prawns, until pink); season with white pepper.
23. Warm the mushrooms through.
24. Wilt the rest of the spinach in the crayfish pan with the crushed garlic for 30–60 seconds and season it.
25. Put a slice of toast on each plate and slide an egg on top, lifting off the ring.
26. Arrange the crayfish, mushrooms and wilted spinach around it and finish with the reserved leaves, a spoon of whipped cream and the truffle, if using.
27. Serve the crayfish sauce on the side.

1. Prepare the Crayfish
2. Heat a pan with olive oil. Sauté the crayfish with garlic and parsley until fragrant.
3. Deglaze with brandy and cover for 2 minutes.
4. Season with white pepper and cook for another minute. Remove crayfish from the pan and cool.
5. Boil the claws in salted water with black peppercorns for 3 minutes. Cool in ice water and remove the shells.
6. Prepare the Garnish
7. Wash and dry the spinach. Reserve 20 leaves for decoration.
8. In a small saucepan, sauté mushrooms in olive oil. Deglaze with stock and lemon juice. Simmer for 5–10 minutes and cool.
9. Prepare the Egg Soufflé
10. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt and pepper until soft peaks form. Add lemon juice and continue whisking until firm.
11. Place a portion of egg whites into an 8 cm ring mold. Add an egg yolk to the center and cover with more egg whites.
12. Steam in a steamer at 185°F (85°C) for 4 minutes.
13. Final Touches
14. Reheat the crayfish tails and claws in olive oil.
15. Sauté truffle sticks and mushrooms, then deglaze with truffle juice.
16. Sauté spinach briefly with garlic and season to taste.
17. Plating
18. Place a slice of toasted bread at the base of the plate.
19. Top with the prepared egg soufflé, crayfish, mushrooms, and spinach leaves.
20. Garnish with whipped cream and fresh truffles. Serve with crayfish sauce on the side.

The dish in the photograph was cooked by the restaurant for this story. Photo: Oleksandr Slyadnyev.