May 18 is national cheese soufflé day in the States but it doesn’t mean that we, Canadians cannot partake. The more the merrier right?
These delicacies are a combination of fluffy egg whites and grated cheese. They work harmoniously and are a perfect dish for a savoury bite. I’m a big fan of these savoury treats.
I used the recipe from the book Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck. It’s a great read for french recipes and techniques. I have adapted the recipe slightly and updated it, in this post. I use 8 oz ramekins and this recipe makes 6 soufflés.
Ingredients
1 tbsp butter, for greasing the mold
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup boiling 2% milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
a pinch of ground cayenne pepper (big pinch if you like spice)
a pinch of nutmeg
4 egg yolks
5 egg whites
a pinch of salt
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and place a rack in the middle. Butter the inside of the soufflé mold (1 tbsp butter) and sprinkle in 1 tbsp cheese.
2. Measure out all your ingredients. Separate the egg white and yolks into two separate bowls.
3. Melt 3 tbsp butter in a medium saucepan. Add in 3 tbsp all purpose flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium heat until butter and flour foam for 2 minutes, watch for browning – you don’t want it. In a small saucepan, boil 1 cup of milk.
4. Remove from heat when the mixture stops bubbling and add in the boiling milk. Beat with a whisk until blended.
5. Add in salt, pepper, cayenne and nutmeg and mix. Return the mixture over high heat and boil, whisk for 1 minute. Sauce will be thick and then remove from heat.
6. Drop one egg yolk into the mixture and whisk. Add each additional yolk (4 total, you will have 1 extra) and whisk.
7. Place egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl + hand mix) and a pinch of salt. Beat until stiff peaks form.
8. Stir 1/4 egg white mix into the thick sauce. Stir in grated cup of Parmesan cheese, save 1 tbsp. Delicately fold in the rest of the egg whites.
9. Evenly fill the soufflé molds with the mixture. They should be 3/4 full. Tap the bottom of the mold lightly and smooth the surface of the soufflé with a flat knife. Sprinkle 1 tbsp cheese evenly over top.
10. Place molds on a baking tray and place into the oven on the middle rack. Reduce heat to 375°F immediately. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the soufflé has puffed about 2 inches over the rim. The top will be nicely brown. If you need to bake them for longer, you can do an extra 4-5 minutes.
Notes – My oven requires 20 minutes for the soufflés and any longer they will be dry. You can test the soufflé with a toothpick through the side of the pouf, it should come out clean. If you over bake a soufflé it will dry out and deflate as soon as you remove it from the oven. Best to bake for less time and add time if required.
Happy Cheese Soufflé Day!
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