Orange souffle is another brilliant recipe from The Captain’s Lady. Until the discovery of her journal entries and recipes from the 1800’s, I don’t think I would have ever made souffle. To be honest with you, I have never had souffle let alone orange souffle. I can’t recall the last time I even saw souffle on a menu.
Now that the baby is here nice restaurants gourmet meals are a thing in the past. I know that in time Michael and I will be able to go on dates again especially with the two older siblings right at babysitting ages. While the baby is little though… it’s orange souffle at home 😀 I can’t complain!
So… how was my first attempt at orange souffle? Wonderful. It is light and airy. You can see the air pockets on the sides. Overall it has a delicate flavor and I can see why you wouldn’t want to use toppings or fillings that would be overpowering. The oranges provided a boost of flavor at the end which I think was nice. Had the oranges been at the beginning of the dish I don’t think the palate would have taken well to the souffle. Overall, very nice. I will be making more varieties of souffle in the very near future.
The Captain’s Wife Episode 05: Outward Bound
June, 1860
“The most difficult part of waiting for my Captain is when he has just sailed to some strange seaport in a place that I know I shall never see. Once at sea, he is part of a world that I have no part of; I cannot share. My only rival for his constant and complete love and affection is “The Sea.” When he gets that far-a-way look in his brilliant sea-blue eyes, I know that a new voyage is being planned. Then I wish with all my heart and soul that I could accompany him wherever he goes – just to be with him – experience with him the powerful lure of the sea – that intoxicating feeling of freedom and adventure – the utter grandeur of it all. Anything so I do not have to stay home and wait and worry though the long endless months ahead. However, he will not permit it. The trips are swift, the seas treacherous, the dangers many and varied. He usually travels from Boston to the West Indies around the Horn of California, then the Sandwich Isles, Java, Sumatra, Ceylon and Canton exchanging cargoes at all these ports as he goes. This takes about three and one half months, then a weeks stay in Canton making repairs, loading up; then it’s retrace the same route back to Boston for another three and one half months. He would have no peace of mind with me on board as he has so often said.
When I know he is homeward-bound, I like to spend as much time as possible in his library. I feel very close to him there. The beautiful walnut panelled walls complement the many models of famous ships displayed all around the room. His shell collection occupies an entire wall. Thousands of books on myriad subjects occupy the other walls. There is a large globe where I follow him as he sails around the world. I usually have a fire lit and sit at his beautiful hand-carved desk and write letters to him, do my house-hold accounts, keep up both my daily journal and receipt books. I do my needlework and practice my music at a small harpsichord I have brought in for practicing.
Then later in the afternoon, I sit on the crimson velvet covered window seat in the large Bay window with my dogs and cats, enjoy my afternoon tea and watch the horizon intently in order to be sure to catch the first glimpse of the breath-taking sight of “The Golden Fleece” as she majestically enters the harbor. “My Captain has returned!””
(The Captain’s Lady Cookbook
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The Captain’s Lady Cookbook
- 3 tablespoons butter
- sugar
- 2 juicy oranges cubed
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 4 eggs, separated
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Grease ramekins with 1 tablespoon of butter. Coat with 1 tablespoon of sugar, then tap out the excess. Place one layer of orange cubes in the bottom of ramekins.
- Beat with an electric mixer, egg yolk and sugar until thick and lemon colored.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Sir in flour and salt. Add milk all at once and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Pour over egg and sugar mixture, set aside to cool. Once cool stir in vanilla.
- Beat egg whites with an electric mixer on high until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into egg yolk mixture to keep light and fluffy.
- Pour into ramekins on top of orange cubes about 2/3 or 3/4 full (souffle will rise). Attach collars if desired. Set in a dish of water and place in the oven. Bake 350 degrees until tops are brown and souffle is firm, 50-60 minutes. Serve immediately.
- 1. Do not open oven to peek until at least 25 minutes of baking. The cool air can prevent the souffle from rising.
- 2. Your souffle will begin to deflate as soon as it leaves the oven, this is normal.
- 3. You can substitute any fruit for oranges.
- 4. If desired, poke a small hole in the crust of the souffle and pour a custard sauce inside.
This looks amazing!! Love the way you served it!! Orange souffles are sooo good.
Thank you! I have a *thing* for mason jars. I use them whenever I can 😀
i have never had a orange souffle before! definitely something i need to try. looks delicious.
Thank you! I always thought souffles are hard to make but they really aren’t. They reacted well to the mason jar too. I was a little worried about that but it came out great!