Classic Cheese Souffle (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Base
01 -
4 tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter, cubed, plus additional softened butter for preparing the baking dish
02 -
Grated Parmesan cheese for dusting
03 -
5 tablespoons (45g) flour
04 -
1 3/4 cups (430ml) whole milk, warmed
05 -
1/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
06 -
Freshly-ground black pepper
07 -
Pinch of grated nutmeg
08 -
Pinch of cayenne pepper
→ Egg Mixture
09 -
5 large egg yolks
10 -
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
→ Finishing
11 -
8 ounces (225g) Comté, Gruyère, or another favorite cheese, coarsely shredded
12 -
1/4 cup (12g) minced chives
# Instructions:
01 -
Butter a 1 1/2-2-quart (2l) baking dish generously. Dust the bottom and sides with Parmesan cheese.
02 -
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in the flour and bring to a low boil. Cook until the mixture has thickened a bit, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, whisk in the warm milk and turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Once the mixture comes to a boil, cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly.
03 -
Remove from heat and whisk in the salt, a generous amount of freshly ground pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne. Whisk in the egg yolks vigorously, one at a time. Scrape the mixture into a medium to large bowl and let cool a bit until only slightly warm.
04 -
Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Reserve a handful of the cheese, and stir the rest of the cheese and chives into the soufflé base.
05 -
In a large, clean bowl, or in the stand mixer with the whip attachment, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold their shape but are still moist and creamy. Don't overbeat them.
06 -
Fold one-quarter of the beaten egg whites into the soufflé base thoroughly, then fold the remaining egg whites in just until there are no (or few) visible streaks of egg whites. Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking dish, gently smooth the top, and strew the reserved handful of cheese over the top.
07 -
Bake the soufflé on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes, without opening the oven door. For a soft, somewhat runny center, remove at this point. For a firmer texture, bake for a total of 25 minutes. To check doneness, lightly touch the center - if it jiggles and moves freely, it's done for soft soufflés. If you prefer firmer, return to oven for an additional 5 minutes.
# Notes:
01 -
A soufflé will begin to deflate shortly after removing from the oven, so serve immediately for best presentation.
02 -
Using room temperature egg whites helps achieve maximum volume when beating.