Twice-Baked Cheese Souffles
Don’t be put off by the word soufflé! I’ve never been good at folding the whisked egg white into the sauce, which is the key, but it does not seem to matter with these, and they have never failed me! And you can prepare them the day before. Serves 6:
- 40g flour
- 40g butter
- 200ml milk
- Pinch nutmeg
- 75g cheddar cheese or similar
- Pinch of mustard
- 3 eggs, separated
- 6 tbsp double cream or crème fraiche
- Extra grated cheese
- Herbs of your choice (optional)
Butter 6 ramekin dishes. Put the flour, butter and milk into a saucepan and whisk over a medium heat as the butter melts, and the sauce then thickens. Boil stirring for a minute, and season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg. Add the 75g of cheese and the mustard.
Take the cheese sauce off the heat, and allow to cool slightly while you whisk the egg whites until they are reasonably stiff. Beat the egg yolks and chopped herbs (maybe some chives, parsley and chervil or tarragon) into the cheese sauce, then fold in the egg whites, and spoon the mixture into the ramekins so that they are ¾ filled.
Bake at 180C (in a bain marie if you can) for 15 minutes until the mixture is golden on top and set (it will still wobble a bit). Allow the soufflés to cool, at least until you can handle them, but you can make them to this stage the day before – keep them in the fridge covered with cling film, and don’t worry, they will collapse completely, but they are supposed to.
When you are ready to serve them, heat the oven to 200C (or the grill if you are short of time). Turn the soufflés out into a heat proof dish by running a knife around the edge and then easing them from the bottom of the ramekin, leaving them with their bottoms upwards. Cover with a good sprinkling of the extra cheese and spoon a tablespoon of cream over each. Put in the hot oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. (If you use the grill watch them closely until the cheese is melted and golden, but they will not warm completely through under the grill.) Serve as a starter with some French bread, or warm rolls, or as a lunch with salad as well.