KBB #12 - Souffle

Cheese Souffles

Source:
The Perfect Cookbook by David Herbert. Penguin Books Australia Ltd 2003.

Ingredients

100g unsalted butter
½ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
300ml milk
1 cup grated cheddar
2 Tbs / sdM freshly grated parmesan
½ tsp Dijon mustard
pinch cayenne pepper
4 eggs, separated

Directions

Preheat the oven to 190C (375F, Gas Mark 5). Grease and lightly flour six ½-cup-capacity souffle dishes.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk and whisk continuously over medium heat until the mixture is smooth, thickens and comes to the boil. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the cheddar, parmesan, mustard and cayenne pepper. Mix well.

Lightly beat the egg yolks and add these to the cheese mixture. Mix well.

With an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until firm peaks form. Fold a quarter of the whites through the cheese mixture to slacken it slightly, then gently fold through the remaining whites.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared dishes and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until risen and golden. Don't be tempted to open the oven until the souffles have risen. Serve immediately.


Cook's Note:
- I used Tasty cheddar from Devondale as the main cheese. I think the overall taste was too mild. I think the stronger cheddar would be nicer.
- I find the texture of the souffle is a combination of uncooked choux pastry and sponge cake eventhough not doughy as the mixture is cooked. I'm not sure whether the texture is too stiff for souffle since it's the first time I ate souffle.