04 February,2018 09:51 AM IST | Mumbai | Kasturi Gadge
Gaurav Manjrekar suggests keeping the temperature at 180 degrees
Eggs are the most versatile item on a breakfast menu - boil them, poach them, scramble or fry the old fashioned way - they always work. Nutcracker, an all-day-breakfast café in Bandra West is helping you add another dimension to your egg routine. Owner of the café, Annie Bafna says, "Since we are an eggetarian all-day-breakfast café, we keep thinking of different ways to treat egg dishes. Most people prefer egg whites for health reasons. So, that's when we thought of applying the soufflé technique to create a fluffy and light white omelette." Her partner in this endeavour is chef Gaurav Manjrekar, who has designed the signature breakfast item.
The egg white soufflé. Pics/Nimesh Dave
Manjrekar remembers, "My first tryst with the method was back in school when I created a chocolate soufflé with my mother. The fascination with soufflé stayed with me."âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088 After mastering the art for years, he suggests that if you're a first-time soufflé maker, it is best to keep everything handy. Make sure you have enough clean bowls, eggs at room temperature and a preheated oven. While a textbook soufflé is with egg yolk, he recommends starting with the basic recipe and then experimenting with other ingredients. "Even the oven can behave differently, so even if the recipe says a certain temperature, keep a close eye on it when making it for the first couple of times to nail the perfect temperature," he says. And if it turns out perfect, it will be fluff and melt in your mouth with a well-balanced the flavour of the ingredients and eggs.
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So how do you ace the breakfast soufflé? According to Manjrekar, you start by tossing onions, chillies and tomatoes in oil until well-browned. Then take egg whites and beat them. "The trick is to beat egg whites just until they are stiff but not so dry that they longer slip when the bowl is tilted. On the other hand, underbeaten whites will lack volume, so beat it at least for four minutes with electric hand whisk," he says. The salt and spice mix is added at this stage to add flavour to the dish. "You first pour half of your egg white mix, then add some of the onions and tomatoes. Now top it with the rest of the egg white mix. Then put it into an oven at 180 degree celsius and bake for 10 minutes," he says.
With two minutes to go, top it with cheese so it melts on top. "Add some more of the onion-tomato mix and some parsley. But bacon works perfectly well, too." However, be warned, it must be served quickly, before it loses form.
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