A classic cheese & chive soufflé
You can’t get much more classic than a cheese soufflé! They are far more stable and forgiving than their reputation would have you believe, and they are a true joy to eat - arguably the perfect starter along with a green salad, some melba toast and a glass of French chardonnay.
Go for a mature or extra mature British cheddar here - Collier’s Cheddar or Black Bomber are both incredible choices. Similarly, we’ve suggested parmesan for the hard cheese, but if you want to keep it British you could hunt down some Berkswell which is a hard cheese made of Ewe’s milk.
Wine pairing
We’ve had the pleasure of teaching these cheese & chive soufflés at a few Zoom Cooking classes this year, and the suggested wine pairing was a white Burgundy. The creamy, slightly richer mouthfeel of a white Burgundy matches very well with the indulgent cheesiness of the soufflé, and any toasty, biscuity notes in the wine (from oak again, perhaps) marry well with the toasted breadcrumbs. They are a very complimentary match in terms of both body and flavour.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
The recipe below serves 4; it will deeply fill 4 large ramekins, or 1 small/medium ceramic dish if you prefer 1 larger soufflé for the table.
Ingredients :
to line the moulds:
2 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
2 tbsp grated parmesan
1 tsp thyme leaves
for the soufflé:
30 g butter
20-30 g flour (2 heaped tbsp)
200 ml milk
Pinch salt & white pepper
2 tsp dijon mustard
100 g strong cheddar, grated
50 g parmesan, grated
4 eggs
Small bunch fresh chives
to serve:
Fresh bread / melba toast / grilled sourdough
Green salad
Method:
Start by making sure the kit listed below is clean and dry : 1 very small saucepan; 1 whisk (or 2 if you have); 2 large mixing bowls; 4 ramekins, 1 pastry brush; 1 deep sided roasting tray / oven dish in which to bake the ramekins.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees fan, and have an oven rack near the top; if your oven is conventional rather than fan, have the oven rack in the middle.
Prepare the ramekin ingredients: strip the thyme leaves from the stalks and chop, grate the parmesan, and mix these with the breadcrumbs.
In your smallest saucepan melt 2 tbsp / small knob of butter. Use a pastry brush to generously line the inside of the ramekins using upwards strokes, then coat the inside of the ramekins with the crumb mix as thickly as possible. Stand the ramekins in the deep sided roasting tray.
Now it’s time to make the ‘roux’ and then the ‘béchamel’. Heat 40 g butter in the same saucepan (no need to wash in between). Once melted, sprinkle in the flour bit by bit, whisking as you do so. ‘Cook out’ this roux for 1 minute over a low heat, whisking constantly.
Keep the heat low and pour in the milk, bit by bit; again, whisk constantly. ‘Cook out’ the béchamel for 1 minute.
Turn off the heat and whisk in 2 tsp Dijon mustard, the grated cheddar, grated parmesan, finely chopped chives, and a tiny pinch of salt and white pepper (keep the seasoning modest as cheese is very salty!)
Tip the thick béchamel sauce into a large mixing bowl. Spread it around so it can cool quickly - perhaps stand it on a windowsill, or outside for 5 minutes.
Crack and separate the eggs; add the yolks to the béchamel and the whites to a large mixing bowl (which is spotlessly clean and dry!). Whisk the yolks into the béchamel, and whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. If you are using the same whisk make sure it’s clean and dry before whisking whites!
Add ⅓ of the whisked egg whites into the béchamel to loosen the mix, then fold in the second third, and finally the third third. Use delicate ‘folding’ motions to avoid knocking out any air.
Spoon the soufflé mix into the ramekins all the way to the top.
Fill the roasting tray with hot water from the kettle until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake at the top of the preheated oven for 12 minutes (or approx 16 mins if you are cooking 1 large soufflé). Serve immediately with green salad and fresh bread.
