Shrimp Soufflé

5 servings

½ pound raw shrimp
¼ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup margarine or butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 cup milk
4 eggs separated
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Savory Sauce (below)

Peel shrimp. Make shallow cut lengthwise down back of each shrimp; wash out sand vein. Cut shrimp into ½ inch pieces. Cook and stir onion in margarine in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp; cook and stir just until shrimp are pink, about 3 minutes. Remove shrimp with slotted spoon; reserve. Blend flour, salt and cayenne pepper into margarine. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly; remove from heat; stir in shrimp.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter 6-cup soufflé dish or 1 ½ quart casserole. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl on high speed until stiff but not dry. Beat egg yolks in small bowl until very thick and lemon colored, about 5 minutes; stir into shrimp mixture. Stir about ¼ of the egg whites into shrimp mixture. Fold shrimp mixture into remaining egg whites. Carefully pour into soufflé dish. Cook uncovered until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Prepare Savory Sauce. Divide soufflé into sections with 2 forks. Serve soufflé immediately with sauce.