A Nice Cuppa

There???s the Earl of Sandwich. The Duke of Earl. And if you???re a fan of NBC sitcoms, ???My Name Is Earl???. But of all the Earls out there, the Grey variety is by far the most ubiquitous ??? and the most delicious, of course. Earl Grey tea is uniquely perfumed, sweet (with just a tiptoe of bitterness), and smooth to drink with or without milk. It ranks right up there with English Breakfast and Darjeeling on the list of classic teas, requisite to any tea company worth its salt. And it has enough pizzazz to warrant an appearance within the dessert stratosphere, too.

There are many trendy chocolatiers that infuse dark chocolate truffles with Earl Grey leaves, and the effect is all at once delicious and mysterious ??? those eating them are often perplexed, not quite able to place a flavor that???s all at once familiar yet elusive. The tea leaves work so well in chocolate because they enhance its already rich and fragrant flavor, making for a surprisingly sexy accompaniment.

But this tea???s repertoire doesn???t stop at chocolate truffles. Earl Grey can be even more seductive when allowed to wallow in anything creamy. The following recipe for an exquisitely decadent chocolate dessert from Bon Appetit (February 2003) draws on an Earl Grey custard drizzled over an appropriately impressive chocolate souffle.

With the colder weather closing in, it???s the ideal time of year for dinner parties. And as a final course, this show stopping dessert is positively poetic.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE WITH EARL GREY CUSTARD SAUCE
As seen on Epicurious.com

Sauce
6 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon Earl Grey tea leaves (from 3 tea bags)

Souffl??
1/3 cup whole milk
8 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 1/2 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 large egg yolks
5 large egg whites

For sauce:
Whisk egg yolks and 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl to blend well. Combine milk, cream, tea leaves, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into egg yolk mixture; return to same saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens enough to leave path on spoon when finger is drawn across, about 8 minutes (do not boil). Immediately strain sauce into small bowl. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)

For souffl??:
Preheat oven to 375??F. Generously butter 6-cup souffl?? dish; coat dish with sugar. Combine milk and 5 tablespoons sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves and milk comes to simmer. Remove from heat; add both chocolates and stir until melted and smooth. Whisk in egg yolks.
Using electric mixer, beat whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 3 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into warm chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Transfer mixture to prepared dish.
Bake souffl?? until just set in center and top is puffed and cracked all over, about 32 minutes. Serve souffl?? immediately with custard sauce.

Makes 6 servings.

Bon App??tit
February 2003