As I announced in my previous post I received the second prize in Gekkeikan Masters Cooking Competition. I had to develop two dishes, one in savoury and one in sweet, by using ‘Sake‘ (Japanese Rice Wine) which should not be a Japanese dish. This is the photo of my dishes at the competition venue.

My savoury dish was Sake Soufflé Quiche with Fig & Pine Nuts and the dessert dish was Rosy Sake Jelly with Raspberry Sauce. I was originally developing this Soufflé Quiche for making it in one bigger tin and then cut into smaller size for 2 to 4 people.

However, during the process in the competition the situation had changed and I had to adjust the recipe for using smaller tins. I had to use a small portable oven on the site so baking it in smaller tins was much quicker and also had less chance of burning the top and bottom so that it was a good move for me in the end.

Here is the recipe of my ‘Sake Soufflé Quiche with Fig & Pine Nuts‘ in a smaller size.

Sake Soufflé Quiche with Fig & Pine Nuts

[Ingredients] (for 2 small round tins, 10 cm (Diameter) x 5cm (Depth))

• Sake 60ml
• Whole Milk 50ml
• 2 large Eggs
• Butter (salted) 34g
• Plain Flour 34g
• Salt 1/4 Tsp
• a few drops of Lemon Juice

• Sake 3 Tbsp
• Dried Fig 2 – 3
• Pine Nuts 3 Tbsp. (toasted)
• Chopped Chives 3 Tbsp

[Preparation]

• Chop Dried Fig into small cubes and soak in 3 Tbsp of Sake in a small bowl for over 30 minutes.
• Toast Pine Nuts lightly
• Leave Milk and Eggs in room temperature
• Place a baking sheet inside of the tin

[Direction]

Preheat the oven at 150 degree

Scatter soaked Fig cubes at the bottom of the tin with a baking sheet

Separate Eggs into Yolk and Egg White. Beat Egg Yolk in a bowl with a whisk

Melt Butter in a hot bath and cool it for 5 minutes by leaving it in room temperature. When the Butter becomes slightly cool trickle it down into Yolk. Mix it well.

Add in Plain Flour and Salt by using a sieve and mix well.

Warm Milk by placing the container into the warm bath (for melting butter earlier) and add in to the Yolk mixture. Add in Sake and chopped Chives into the mixture also. Make sure the mixture becomes smooth by whisking well

Whisk Egg White well with a few drops of Lemon Juice until a stiff peak can be created. Add 1/3 of whisked Egg White into the Yolk mixture. Combine gently but well with a whisk.

Add in the rest of the whisked Egg White and mix lightly for a few second. No need to make the mixture completely smooth and leave some white egg bubbles floating around

Pour the mixture half way into the tin. Scatter toasted Pine Nuts and pour the rest of the mixture into the tin

Place the tin on a baking tray and pour hot water up to 1-2 cm in depth on a tray.

Put the tray in the preheated oven on the middle shelf. Cook if for 20 minutes until the *skewer test shows that the centre is cooked but slightly creamy. Then remove the tin from oven and cool. When it becomes room temperature chill it in a refrigerator

*Inside is quite soft & moist so the skewer comes out slightly wet, but that is OK

Serve it with some Salad

[Tips]

The most important part of this cooking is the way of mixing the Yolk mixture and whisked Egg White. No need of mixing completely. Actually some whisked Egg White floating around on surface is the best condition.

You may want to wrap up the bottom of tins with Aluminium foil before putting it onto a baking tray in case water gets inside the tin.

Let me know what you think of this dish. Enjoy! 💓