Fluffy Strawberry-Rhubarb Soufflé
·Prep the rhubarb
Trim the leaves off the rhubarb stalks. Peel away the tougher outer skin using a potato peeler. Cut the cleaned stalks into pieces about 2 cm wide.
Cook with the strawberries
Hull the strawberries, removing the green tops. Put the rhubarb and strawberries into a pot, add a tablespoon of water and the cane sugar, and bring to a boil. Cook until both the rhubarb and strawberries have broken down completely.
Add the starch
Add the potato starch, stirring it in quickly, ideally with a whisk, to avoid any lumps. Add the thyme. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
Blend until smooth
Blend the cooked fruit until completely smooth using an immersion blender, then pass it through a sieve for an even silkier texture. Let it cool completely.
Whip the egg whites
Whip the egg whites with the powdered sugar into a very stiff meringue. Fold in the cooled fruit mixture a spoonful at a time. Mix very, very gently so the meringue stays light and airy.
Butter the dishes
Grease the inside of your soufflé ramekins or ceramic baking dishes thoroughly with butter, making sure not to miss a single spot. Dust the buttered ramekins with powdered sugar.
Fill halfway
Carefully spoon the mixture into the ramekins using a large spoon. Take care not to get any on the rim, as the rising soufflé would stick to it and fail to rise evenly. Fill the ramekins only halfway, since the batter will rise a lot.
Bake on the lower shelf
Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C, on the lower or middle shelf, for about 15 minutes. The soufflé will rise, double in volume, and turn golden on top.
Serve immediately
Take the soufflé out of the oven and serve right away. Why immediately? Because it will start to sink after just a few minutes, so it really needs to be eaten straight away.
