Twice Baked Cheese Soufflé

I so often can’t eat these in a restaurant because they’re a) not made with vegetarian cheese, or b) laced with truffle (which I’m allergic to!) so I worked for a few weeks to perfect them at home. We ate them every night for six nights I think until I got it just right 😉

Ingredients

  • 15g butter
  • 15g plain flour
  • 75ml milk
  • 50g Strong Cheddar such as Cornish cruncher, plus a little extra to top
  • 10g Vegetarian Parmesan
  • 120ml double cream
  • 1/2tsp wholegrain mustard
  • 3 large fresh free range egg whites
  • 1/2tsp baking powder)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Method

Prepare your soufflé dishes with a circle of greaseproof paper cut to fit the base, and butter well.

Add the butter, flour & milk to a small pan and whisk over a medium heat until thickened, then add the mustard, seasoning and both cheeses grated. Mix well and set aside.

Separate the yolks and whisk the whites until stiff peaks form as if you were making meringue. Add the baking powder and continue to whisk for another 10 seconds.

Whisk one third of the egg white in with the cheese roux until perfectly mixed, then add another third folding in carefully until very well mixed, and then add the final third being very careful here not to knock the air out of the remaining white.

Fill your soufflé dishes, this recipe makes four good sized starter portions. Clean the rim of each dish by running your clean thumb around the circumference to allow the mixture to rise evenly during the first bake.

Place the soufflé dishes in a Bain Marie, where the water comes up to around 3/4 of the full height of the soufflé pots and bake at 110 degrees C for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the pots from the water and allow to cool.

At this point, once completely cool, they can sit in your fridge for several days still in their pots until you need them which makes it a really good make ahead starter course.

When you are ready for the second bake, run a knife around the inside of the pot to allow the soufflé to drop out, and upturn the pot onto a suitable receptacle – I use little terracotta tapas dishes. Remove the greaseproof paper if it has come with the soufflé, and then pour over 30ml of double cream, before topping the soufflé and cream with a little more cheddar and Parmesan.

Bake at 180 degrees C for 8 minutes and serve immediately with some slices of crusty bread.

Loved by all, including non vegetarians!

Re the leftover egg yolks, we always have eggs florentine for breakfast the morning after, to use them up!