Recipes by Truman Capote: Fettuccine; Souffle Furstenberg

Truman Capote's Fettuccine

1 lb. fettuccine noodles
Few drops of vegetable oil
Boiling salted water
1/2 cup prosciutto ham, cut in 1-inch squares
1/2 cup lean bacon, cut in small pieces
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup hot heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup finely grated Gruyere (or Parmesan) cheese

Place noodles in boiling salted water (a few drops of oil prevents noodles from sticking). Cover. Cook al dente (8-9 minutes). Drain in colander, keep warm. Meanwhile, cook prosciutto and bacon over low heat until crisp and brown; pour off half the fat. Put noodles in lightly buttered chafing dish; add prosciutto ham-bacon mixture; toss lightly and quickly. Break in egg yolks, one at a time, toss quickly. Add hot cream, salt and pepper to taste, toss quickly. Serve at once on heated plates. Serve au natural or let guests add grated Gruyere (or Parmesan) at table. Serve with crisp arugula salad (dressed with lemon-oil dressing) and well-chilled white wine. Serves 6.

Thoughts: Success with this recipe is in having all ingredients ready and to serve within seconds after they are cooked. For a delightful variation, Truman suggests omitting eggs and substituting large garden-ripe tomato, peeled and crushed.

Truman Capote's Souffle Furstenberg

4 eggs, very lightly poached
3 tbsps. butter
3 tbsps. flour
1 cup milk
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1/8 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
4 egg yolks
5 egg whites
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
2 ozs. Gruyere cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Poach eggs very lightly; cool. Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in flour, cook until bubbly and smooth while stirring. Add milk all at once; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and smooth. Season with white pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat. Add egg yolks to sauce, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in finely chopped spinach and cheese. Beat egg whites in separate bowl until stiff, but not dry. Fold beaten egg whites into spinach-sauce mixture. Spoon 3 generous tbsps. souffle mixture into 4 individual well-greased souffle cups (each cup capacity). Gently slide one poached egg into each cup; cover with remaining souffle mixture. Divide cheese between each souffle. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake 18-20 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 4.