Sweet Potato Soufflé with Stewed Cranberries and Date Anglaise
Chef Johnny Iuzzini of Jean Georges – New York, NY
Adapted by StarChefs

Yield: 6 soufflés

Ingredients:

Sweet potato soufflé:
• 8 ¾ ounces sweet potato puree
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 ¾ ounces heavy cream
• ½ ounce corn starch
• 4 ½ ounces egg whites
• 3 ½ ounces sugar

Stewed cranberries:
• 1 quart water
• 35 ounces sugar
• 1 bag fresh or frozen cranberries

Date Anglaise:
• 1 quart half-and-half
• 12 ounces fresh dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 8 egg yolks

Method:

For sweet potato soufflé:
Butter and sugar 6 (4-ounce) soufflé molds or ramekins. Warm sweet potato puree slightly to remove chill. Add yolks and cream and mix until smooth. Add sifted corn starch. In a separate bowl make a French meringue by beating the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add sugar and continue beating until very stiff peaks form. Gently lighten the sweet potato base by mixing in a small amount of the meringue and then fold in the rest.

For stewed cranberries:
Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, and warm the syrup up. Add berries and gently warm together until they are soft. Do not overheat or boil as the berries will explode.

For date Anglaise:
Warm the half-and-half with the dates and vanilla gently in a medium saucepan, but do not let the mixture boil. In a separate heatproof bowl beat the egg yolks until smooth. Add the half-and-half mixture to the egg yolks. Place the heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly, until the date Anglaise thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Remove the vanilla pod. Place immediately in the blender and puree together. Cool in an ice bath, but do not strain.

To assemble and serve:
Preheat oven to 375° F. Place one drained cranberry in the middle of each mold. Pipe the soufflé mix carefully on top coming about 1 inch over the mold. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the soufflé rises and is golden brown. Serve immediately. At table side make a small incision in the top of the soufflé and pour in about 1 Tablespoon of date Anglaise.