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Twice-baked cheese soufflés
©Wickedfood Cooking School
Delicious with rocket and braised pears in white wine.
225ml milk
1 small onion, cut in half
1 bayleaf
Fresh nutmeg, a grating
Few whole black peppercorns
25g butter
25g self-raising flour
2 eggs separated
1 T snipped fresh chives
110g blue cheese, crumbled
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
To serve
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C
2. Place the milk, onion, bayleaf, nutmeg, peppercorns and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Slowly bring to simmering point, remove from the heat, allow to infuse for ± 10 minutes, and then strain it into a jug (discard flavouring agents).
3. In a saucepan, make a white by melting the butter. Stir in the flour and cook gently for 1 minute, stirring all the time, to make a smooth, glossy paste. Add the milk little by little, stirring well after each addition. When all the milk is incorporated, let the sauce barely bubble and thicken.
4. Remove from the heat and transer it to a large mixing bowl. Beat in the egg yolks, followed by the snipped chives. Mix everything thoroughly together and taste to check the seasoning. Finally fold in three quarters of the cheese.
5. In a clean bowl whisk egg whites to soft-peaks. Taking a heaped tablespoon at a time, with a metal spoon, fold the whites into the cheese and egg mixture using cutting and folding movements so as not to lose the air.
6. Divide the mixture between the buttered ramekins (150ml, 7.5cm across and 4cm deep), place them in the roasting tin, place in the oven and fill the tin with ±1cm of boiling water.
7. Bake the soufflés for 20 minutes or until they are set and feel springy in the centre (it is important not to under-cook them at this stage, because on the second cooking they are going to be turned out). Don’t worry if they rise up a lot - as they cool they will sink back into the dish. Remove them from the roasting tin straight away, then cool and chill in the fridge until needed, wrapped in clingfilm (they can also be frozen at this stage).
To serve
8. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Butter a solid baking sheet, turn the soufflés out of the ramekins by sliding the point of a small knife round each soufflé, and place it the right way up on the baking sheet, keeping them apart. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, then pop them into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until they’re puffy, well-risen and golden brown.
9. Slide each soufflé on to a hot serving plate and serve straight away with some freshly grated Parmesan sprinkled over, on a salad of rocket leaves, and a slice of pear on the side.
Serves 4
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