Sweet Souffle Omelette with Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote

, from Issue #21. September, 2015
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Sweet Souffle Omelette with Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote

Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS

3 eggs
3 tablespoons caster sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
small knob of butter

Rhubarb compote
6 slim stalks red rhubarb cut into 6 cm pieces
50 grams caster sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1 punnet strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped

To finish
icing sugar for dusting
crème fraîche or yoghurt

METHOD

Rhubarb: Put the rhubarb, sugar, water and vanilla in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer gently until the rhubarb is tender and collapsing. Remove from the heat and stir in the strawberries. The residual heat will soften the strawberries. Tip into a bowl and cool.

Omelette: Preheat the grill to its highest setting with the rack positioned in the centre of the oven. Separate the eggs and whisk the yolks with 1 tablespoon of the caster sugar and the vanilla extract for 1 minute. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks then beat in the remaining sugar to stiff peaks. Using a large metal spoon, fold the egg whites into the egg yolks in three lots.

Heat a 25 cm non stick, oven-proof sauté pan and add the butter. When melted add the soufflé mixture and gently spread to an even layer. Cook over a medium-low heat for 4 minutes, until golden on the base. Take care not to let it get too dark. Reduce the heat if necessary.

Place under the grill and cook for 2 minutes until golden and puffed.

Spoon some of the compote over one side of the omelette, fold in half and slide onto a serving plate. Dust the top with icing sugar. Cut in half and transfer to two plates. Serve with extra compote and a small dish of crème fraîche or yoghurt.