Cheese soufflé

Cheese soufflé
 
Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 20g melted butter to line 6 ramekins
  • 25g grated parmesan to line ramekins
  • 275ml whole milk
  • 1 white onion, peeled, left whole
  • 8 cloves
  • grated nutmeg
  • 40g butter
  • 40g plain flour
  • 100g mature cheddar, grated
  • 1 tsp English mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 free range eggs, separated
  • 1 heaped tsp chopped chives
Method
  1. Pre heat the oven to 135C/Gas 1. Brush the insides of six ramekins with melted butter and dust with grated parmesan.
  2. Peel a white onion and stud with 8 cloves. Heat the milk gently in a small pan, add the onion and a little grated nutmeg. Remove from the heat, cover with a tight-fitting lid and allow to infuse for 10 mins. Melt the butter in a heavy-based pan, add the flour and cook over a gentle heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 10 mins to make a roux. Allow to cool a little.
  3. Re-heat the milk, strain and add to the roux a little at a time, stirring continuously. Whisk out any lumps with a balloon whisk, add mustard and cook, stirring constantly, over a low heat, for 15 mins. Remove from the heat, stir in cheese and egg yolks and season well.
  4. Put the egg whites in a bowl and whisk with a clean whisk until peaks form whites. Fold gently into the white sauce with a metal spoon. Fill prepared ramekins with soufflé mix.
  5. Make a bain marie by boiling the kettle, then take a large baking dish, line it with a clean tea towel and stand the ramekins in it. Put in the oven, then pull out the tray half way so that you can reach the edge to carefully pour in hot water from the kettle to ¾ up the sides of the ramekins (putting the water in the bain marie once it is already on the oven tray avoids trying to transfer it from kitchen table to the oven with the water in it - hot water spillage into the soufflés will ruin them!).
  6. Cook for 25 mins until the tops are risen and have a slight wobble. Remove and serve immediately.
  7. Note: You can make these in advance – simply make the mixture and cover in clingfilm and transfer to the oven to cook later

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