Cheddar & spinach soufflé
Author: Terry Laybourne
Ingredients
- 50g unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp fine dry white breadcrumbs
- 3 small eggs
- 180ml full fat milk
- ¼ onion, studded with 1 clove
- 1 small bay leaf
- 30g plain flour
- 1 tsp English mustard powder
- 150g mature cheddar cheese
- 60g spinach
- salt and freshly milled white pepper
- 400ml double cream
Method
- Butter four 9cm ramekins and line with a layer of breadcrumbs.
- Chill in the fridge.
- Preheat oven to 135C/Gas 1.
- Separate eggs.
- Heat milk in a pan with the onion and bay leaf.
- Remove from heat, cover and leave to infuse.
- Melt 30g butter in a pan, stir in flour and cook over a low heat for 5 mins to make a roux.
- Stir in mustard powder.
- Strain and reheat milk and add to the roux, one ladle at a time, stirring and allowing to almost boil between each addition.
- When all the milk is added and the mixture is smooth, move to a low heat and cook gently for 5 mins, stirring.
- Remove from heat, stir in egg yolks and 100g grated cheddar, and cover pan with cling film to retain heat.
- Heat the remaining 10g butter until nut brown in a frying pan and sauté spinach briefly to wilt.
- Season with salt and pepper and drain.
- Transfer to a cutting board, chop coarsely and stir into the sauce.
- Whisk egg whites until they begin to thicken, add a pinch of salt and continue whisking until quite firm (beware of graining and drying out).
- Beat a third of the whites into sauce with a wooden spoon then fold in the remainder with a rubber spatula.
- Divide mix between the moulds, place in a tray of hot water and cook in the oven for 25 mins.
- Remove and set aside for 5 mins, increase oven to 200C/Gas 6.
- Turn out soufflés into four individual buttered ovenproof dishes, pour the cream equally between them and scatter remaining cheese over.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 12 mins or so until almost doubled in size and golden on top.
- Serve immediately.
