The movie Julie & Julia has really blessed my life — I know it sounds weird. But my son saw it with some of his friends and it has inspired him to want to learn to cook. And the time we spend pouring over Julia’s cookbook, preparing what we are going to make and then actually cooking it has become such a special time for the two of us. 
This chicken dish is easy and it was the best chicken I have ever tasted — no lie! There was one tricky bit that made me nervous — clarifying the butter. 
I wasn’t sure what this was or how to do it. But it basically is that you increase the amount of butter you need by 1/4. Then you put the butter in your pan and let it boil down. The froth at the top gets skimmed off and there will be white bits that collect at the bottom that you don’t use either. You use the middle amount of butter. Califying the butter means that when you fry something in the butter, that black bits won’t form on your food from the milk parts of the butter burning when you cook.
This is a chicken recipe is a one to start out with because it is easy and there is virtually no chance of failure.
Then we set our sights on the main prize: the Chocolate Soufflé!
I had a number of people ask me for the recipes. So here they are:
Ingredients:
- 4 suprêmes (boned chicken breasts from 2 fryers — I used chicken breasts)
- ¼ tsp salt
- Big pinch of pepper
- 1 cup flour spread on an 8-inch plate
- 1 egg, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp olive oil beaten together in an 8-inch soup plate
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup fine, white, fresh bread crumbs mixed together in an 8 inch dish
- 6 to 8 Tb clarified butter (note that you will need ¼ cup more for your sauce)
Brown Butter Sauce (Beurre Noisette)
- 4 Tb clarified butter
- 3 Tb minced parsley
- 1 Tb lemon juice
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- Once at a time, roll them in the flour and shake off excess.
- Dip in beaten egg. Then roll in the cheese and bread crumbs, patting them in place with the flat of a knife.
- Lay the chicken breasts on waxed paper and allow cheese and bread cumbs to set for 10 to 15 minutes or several hours.
- Saute on both sides in clarified butter until resilient to the pressure of your finger. Serve
Ingredients:
- 7 ounces or squares of semi-sweet or sweet baking chocolate
- 1/3 cup strong coffee
- A small saucepan with cover set in a larger pan of almost simmering water
- 1/2 Tbs softened butter
- A 2- to 2 1/2-quart souffle dish or straight-sided baking dish 7 1/2 to 8 inches in diameter. (I used 8 individual ramekins)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- A 2-quart saucepan
- A wire whisk
- 3 Tbs butter
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Place the chocolate and coffee in the small pan, cover, and set in the larger pan of almost simmering water. Remove from heat and let the chocolate melt while you proceed with the recipe.
- Smear the inside of the dish with the butter. Surround with a collar of buttered aluminum foil (double thickness) to reach 3 inches above the rim of the dish. Set out all the rest of the ingredients called for.
- Measure the flour into the saucepan. Start whisking in the milk by dribbles at first to make a perfectly smooth cream; rapidly whisk in the rest. Add the butter, and stir over moderate heat until boiling; boil, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and beat 1 minute or so to cool slightly.
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 Tbs pure vanilla extract
- One by one, whisk the egg yolks into the hot sauce, then the smoothly melted chocolate, and finally the vanilla. (if you are taking a break before continuing, put plastic wrap over the top).
- 6 egg white (3/4 cup)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Beat the egg whites and salt in a seperate bowl until soft peaks are formed. Then, by sprinkles, beat in the sugar and continue until stiff and shining peaks are formed.
- Scrape the chocolate mixture into the side of the egg white bowl; delicately fold them together. Turn the souffle mixture intot the prepared mold(s) anmd set on a rack in the lower level of the preheated oven (I also put them on a cookie sheet). Turn the thermostat down to 375 degrees.
- In 35-40 minutes (mine were 30 because they were in the ramekins), when the souffle is well risen and the top has cracked, rapidly sprinbkle the surface with powdered sugar; continue baking another 5 to 10 minutes. Souffle is still creamy in the center when a skewer plunged down through a surface crack comes out slightly coated. It is fully done and will stand up well (if that is how you like it) when the skewer comes out clean. Serve at once with either whipped cream or ice cream.
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