Classic Cheese Soufflé
In the pantheon of seemingly intimidating and
near-impossible dishes to prepare at home, soufflé holds a pretty prominent
position. Granted, while a homemade soufflé can be a little fussy when it comes
to preparation, there is absolutely no need at all to be intimidated by this
dish. The ingredients are actually quite humble and mainly consist of typical
kitchen staples that everyone keeps on hand, and the prep-work itself isn’t all
that taxing. Trust me, if you can mix ingredients and whip egg whites, then you
can make a soufflé!
The key to a successful homemade soufflé is mise en place
(French for “putting in place”). In the culinary world, this term refers to
having all your ingredients prepped, measured, and ready to go before you begin
to prepare a dish. Mise en place is especially important for a recipe like soufflé
that involves several steps, and once you get it going, you really don’t want
(or need) to stop and separate eggs or grate cheese. Having proper mise en
place will undoubtedly assure a successful soufflé! Also, keep in mind that
this really isn’t a “make ahead” dish. A soufflé should really be prepared just
before you plan to serve it, and it should be served immediately once it has
finished cooking. So you can definitely see here how proper mise en place is
important for this recipe!
I’ve made soufflés before, but I was most recently inspired
to prepare one after dining with loved ones at the fantastic Grille 29 in
Birmingham, AL during our annual holiday shopping outing. One of their desserts
is a marvelous chocolate soufflé that we all adamantly adored, and its sheer deliciousness
inspired me to prepare my own soufflé of a more savory persuasion. I love a
cheese soufflé mainly because of its versatility. It’s rich-tasting enough to
be served as an entrée, perhaps accompanied by a salad, but it’s also light
enough to be served as an appetizer or a brunch dish accompanied by fresh
fruit. I hope my following recipe inspires you to try to make this classic dish
yourself!
3 tbs. butter (plus extra for greasing)
3 tbs. all-purpose flour
At least ¼ cup finely grated parmesan
1 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
4 egg yolks
7 egg whites
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup grated cheese*
*For this recipe, you can really use just about any kind of
cheese you like. In my most recent preparation, I used a Vallagret, a very mild
Swiss cheese made by Mississippi State University, which made for a very
delicious soufflé! You can also use regular Swiss, gruyere, or cheddar. Just
make sure the cheese you use is a *good* cheese and not something overly
processed.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Make sure to adjust the
racks so that the soufflé will have room to rise properly. Prepare a large soufflé
dish by greasing the inside very liberally with butter. Then, sprinkle the
parmesan in an even coating throughout the inside of the dish. (If you don’t
have a soufflé dish, that’s fine. Just make sure to use a casserole dish with a
flat bottom and tall sides. For individual, smaller soufflés, you can use
ramekins. This recipe will make one large soufflé or approximately eight small
ones.)
In a saucepan, bring the milk to medium heat. Make sure it
doesn’t boil but that it stays warm. In another pan, melt the butter at medium
heat, and add the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook for two minutes, stirring
constantly. Remove from heat, and add the milk, whisking vigorously until
everything is evenly blended. Then, whisk in the egg yolks until they are
thoroughly combined, and then whisk in the grated cheese until the entire
mixture is evenly blended.
For preparing the egg whites, make sure to use a glass or
metal bowl and an electric mixer. In the bowl, combine the egg whites and cream
of tartar and beat on high speed until the whites form stiff peaks. (The
process is similar to making a meringue, sans sugar.)
In a large mixing bowl, gently fold the egg whites into the
cheese mixture one small batch at a time. Do not beat or whip too vigorously,
but continue to fold in the egg whites until they are all thoroughly
incorporated into the cheese mixture. Pour the mixture into your prepared dish,
leaving at least one or two inches of space at the top, and bake for 30-35
minutes. If your oven has a tendency to overheat, you may want to reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Make sure that you don’t open the oven door too early, or your soufflé
could deflate. The soufflé should be lightly browned. (If you’re using
ramekins, reduce the cooking time to around 15 minutes.)
Once the soufflé has finished cooking, remove it from the
oven and serve immediately as desired.
(Perfect little dishes of fluffy, cheesy goodness!)
Enjoy! (And Happy New Year!)
:)
