Chilled Orange Soufflé with Strawberry Sauce

I LOVE this recipe so much. It's simple, yet this chilled soufflé is so delectable, the orange zest and the wine in this soufflé is a perfect marriage. It can be made and appreciated at all times.  This is a recipe from Anne Willan, the founder of the prestigious Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne in Burgundy, France. The recipie calls for strawberries, but I find that raspberries compliments the soufflé better, but you try it and see what you like. 



Ingredients
6 cups strawberries
¾ cup plus 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups sweet white wine
1½ tablespoons powdered unflavored gelatin
1 cup heavy cream
8 large egg yolks
Freshly grated zest of 1 orange
(optional 1~2 tablespoon Grand Marnier)

As you can see, the mixture solidified quickly, that I didn't have the time to smooth out the surface

Directions
1. Place a medium bowl in the freezer to chill. Cut 4 strips of parchment paper about 1 inch longer than the circumference and at least 1 1/2 inches taller than a 6-ounce ramekin. Wrap a parchment-paper strip around each of 4 ramekins to form a collar, and secure with tape.


2. Reserve 4 small strawberries for garnishing. Hull the remaining strawberries. Puree 3 cups (with Grand Marnier if you'd like) strawberries and 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. (If you're using raspberries, make sure you strain the sauce to get the seeds out) Transfer to a bowl or small pitcher, cover, and chill to serve with the souffles. Slice the remaining strawberries, combine with 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, and divide them among the souffle dishes.


3. Place 1/4 cup wine in a small saucepan. Sprinkle with gelatin. Let stand until gelatin begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, remove bowl from freezer, and pour cream into bowl; whip cream until soft peaks form. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill.


4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar and the orange zest on high speed until light and very thick, at least 5 minutes.


5. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, bring the remaining 1 3/4 cups wine just to a boil. With the mixer on low speed, slowly stir the hot wine into the egg-yolk mixture. Return this mixture to the pan, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens and lightly coats the back of a wooden spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Be sure not to let it boil; if it does it will curdle. Remove the custard from the heat, and immediately set the pan into the ice-water bath.


6. Melt gelatin over very low heat, and stir it into the warm custard. Continue stirring until it starts to set. Remove it from the ice-water bath and fold in the whipped cream. (You may want somebody to help you at this point, after mixing in the whipped cream, the mixture will solidify quickly, so have another person tap the ramekins to smooth out the surface.) Pour the mixture into the prepared souffle dishes, covering the strawberries. You will have to work quickly, as the mixture sets quickly once it is cold. It should fill to an inch or more above the rim of the dishes. Chill until firmly set, at least 2 and up to 12 hours (if kept longer, the souffles tend to stiffen).


7. To serve, loosen and remove the parchment-paper collars from the souffles. Thinly slice each reserved strawberry to form a fan, leaving the slices joined at the hull. Press the strawberries flat with your thumb to fan the slices, and set one on top of each souffle. If the souffles have been chilled for more than a few hours, let them warm and soften at room temperature for a few minutes. Serve with the chilled strawberry sauce.