Ingredients
Soufflé
- 6egg whites
- 3egg yolks
- 80 gcaster sugar
- 30 gplain flour
- 1 tbspcornflour
- 1 tspvanilla
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- a pinch of salt
The dish
- 30 gbutter
- 3 tbspmilk
- 2 tbspcranberry or redcurrant preserve, optional
To finish
- icing sugar, generously
Equipment
- an oval gratin dish
- a palette knife
To serve
- immediately, at the table
Directions
- Butter the gratin dish generously and pour the milk into the base. That milk in the base stops the bottom scorching and gives a little moisture, and some cooks spoon in a little cranberry preserve as well.
- Heat the oven to 220°C (430°F) and have it fully up to temperature. A speck of yolk stops the whites reaching full volume, and this dessert is almost nothing but beaten whites.
- Whisk the yolks with the vanilla and lemon zest and set them aside. Whisk the whites with the salt until they hold soft peaks. Now add the sugar gradually, a spoonful at a time, whisking to a firm glossy meringue.
- Add the sugar slowly. The meringue should be stiff enough to hold a peak that stands upright. Sift the flour and cornflour over the meringue. Fold minimally and stop while streaks are still visible. The mixture should stay light and billowing rather than smooth and pourable.
- Shape them tall and pointed rather than rounded, because they slump as they bake and a low mound bakes into a flat lump. Make them noticeably taller than seems sensible.
- Bake at 220°C (430°F) for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not open the oven during the bake, because the draught collapses a soufflé this delicate.
- Take them out while the middles are still barely set. A fully cooked nockerl is dry and it is meant to be almost liquid at the centre. Dust generously. It must go from oven to table in under a minute. Serve it in the dish, spooned out, with the soft centre running.
Technique
- Some versions use four or five mounds, and three is the traditional and most common.
- A little cranberry preserve under the mounds is a classic addition.
- It cannot be made ahead in any form, which is the whole difficulty of it.
Substitutions
- Cornflour alone in place of the plain flour, for a lighter result.
- Redcurrant or lingonberry preserve in the base.
Variations
- With cranberry preserve underneath.
- Made as individual portions in small dishes.
- With a splash of rum in the yolks.
History
A sweet, deliberately mountainous, souffle-like dessert made from whipped egg white and sugar folded gently and baked quickly at high heat, developed in the city of Salzburg, with its dramatic, peaked shape popularly said to represent the three mountains surrounding the city, though the precise historical origin of that specific symbolic explanation is not fully documented beyond general local tradition. Achieving the dessert’s characteristic light, airy peaks while keeping the interior properly soft rather than dry requires precise technique and immediate serving once baked, since the delicate whipped structure collapses quickly if left standing. Salzburger nockerl remains one of Austria’s most visually distinctive and specifically Salzburg-associated traditional desserts, closely tied to that city’s culinary identity.
Frequently asked questions
What is Salzburger Nockerl?
Salzburger Nockerl is a dessert from Austria: three sweet baked soufflé mounds dusted with sugar, served hot. A sweet, deliberately mountainous, souffle-like dessert made from whipped egg white and sugar folded gently and baked quickly at high heat, developed in the city of Salzburg, with its dramatic, peaked shape popularly said to represent the three mountains surrounding the city, though the precise historical origin of that specific symbolic explanation is not fully documented beyond general local tradition. Achieving the dessert’s characteristic light, airy peaks while keeping the interior properly soft rather than dry requires precise technique and immediate serving once baked, since the delicate whipped structure collapses quickly if left standing. Salzburger nockerl remains one of Austria’s most visually distinctive and specifically Salzburg-associated traditional desserts, closely tied to that city’s culinary identity.
How long does Salzburger Nockerl take to make?
Salzburger Nockerl takes 15 min of preparation and 12 min of cooking. The recipe makes 2 to 3 servings. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Salzburger Nockerl?
Yes, within limits. Cornflour alone in place of the plain flour, for a lighter result. Redcurrant or lingonberry preserve in the base.
What is the most important thing to get right in Salzburger Nockerl?
Add the sugar slowly. The meringue should be stiff enough to hold a peak that stands upright. Sift the flour and cornflour over the meringue. Fold minimally and stop while streaks are still visible. The mixture should stay light and billowing rather than smooth and pourable.
