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Cheese Souffle
(Souffle au Fromage)
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| What You Need: |
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1 tablespoon soft butter
1 tablespoon grated, imported Swiss cheese
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup hot milk
˝ teaspoon salt
Pinch of white pepper
4 egg yolks
6 egg whites
1 cup grated, imported Swiss cheese or ˝ cup each Swiss and freshly grated Parmesan cheese
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 2-quart French souffle dish or charlotte mold with 1 tablespoon of soft butter, then sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of grated imported Swiss cheese, tipping the dish to spread the cheese as evenly as possible on the bottom and on all sides. Set the dish aside.
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2. In a 2- to 3-quart saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, stir in the 3 tablespoons of flour with a wooden spoon and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 1 or 2 minutes. Do not let the roux (the butter and flour mixture) brown. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour in the hot milk, beating vigorously with a whisk until the roux and liquid are blended. Add the salt and pepper and return to low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce comes to a boil and is smooth and thick. Let it simmer a moment, then remove the pan from the heat and beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, whisking until each one is thoroughly blended before adding the next. Set aside.
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3. With a large balloon whisk, beat the egg whites until they are so stiff that they form small points which stand straight up without wavering. (A rotary or electric beater may be used instead, but the whites will not mount as voluminously or have as fine a texture.) Stir a big spoonful of beaten egg white into the waiting sauce to lighten it; then stir in all but 1 tablespoon of the remaining grated cheese. With a spatula, lightly fold in the rest of the egg whites, using an over-under cutting motion rather than a stirring motion.
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4. Gently pour the souffle mixture into the prepared dish; the dish should be about three quarters full. Lightly smooth the surface with a rubber spatula and sprinkle the remaining tablespoonful of cheese on top. For a decorative effect make a "cap" on the souffle with a spatula by cutting a trench about 1 inch deep and 1 inch from the rim all around the dish. Place the souffle on the middle shelf of the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 375°F. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the souffle puffs up about 2 inches above the rim of the dish and the top is lightly browned. Serve at once.
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5. SOUFLE AU FROMAGE ET AUX OEUFS MOLLETS (cheese souffle with boiled eggs): Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Lower 4 eggs into the water and boil them slowly for 6 minutes (boil them for 7 minutes if they have been refrigerated). Drain immediately and run cold water into the pan. Tap the eggs gently on a hard surface to break their shells, and peel them under a stream of cold water.
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6. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare the souffle mixture, following the directions in the recipe above. Scoop about half of it into a buttered and cheese-lined 2-quart French souffle dish or charlotte mold. Arrange the eggs in a circle on top and cover each with a mound of the remaining souffle mixture. Dot each mound with a teaspoon of grated cheese and place the souffle on the middle shelf of the oven. Immediately turn the heat down to 375°F and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. When you serve the souffle, include an egg in each portion.
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