See Also: Cheese Dishes · Cooking Club · Main Dishes
Cheese Soufflé
From Dorothy McNett's recipes at www.dorothymcnett.com. Vary the cheese each time you make one of these...any medium to sharp semi-hard grating cheese will work and will offer an abundance of flavor.
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated cheese (natural cheddar, Emmenthaler, raclette, or other fabulous cheeses)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup all purpose unbleached flour
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
5 egg yolks, slightly beaten
5 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 1 1/2 - 2 quart straight-sided souffle dish and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the cheese over the bottom and only partly up the sides. Set aside. In a glass or ceramic batter bowl, heat the butter, mustard and flour 30 - 40 seconds in microwave. Whisk in the milk and cook on high 2 minutes. Whisk well. Cook another 1-2 minutes, or until mixture is smooth and thickened. Add the salt, pepper, and the rest of the cheese, blending in the cheese thoroughly. The sauce should be thick. Set aside. In a small bowl whisk the egg yolks well. Now whisk about 3 tablespoons of the hot cheese mixture into the egg yolks to warm them gently. Now slowly add the warmed egg yolks to the remaining cheese mixture and whisk well. Cook on high 1 minute. Whisk well and set aside while you beat or whisk the egg whites until they are stiff but not dry, using a copper bowl if desired. If not using a copper bowl, use a batter bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar before beating egg whites, using an electric beater. When the egg whites are stiff, gently fold about 1/4th of them into the cheese sauce using a silicone spatula or a rubber spatula. Do not beat, just gently fold and continue with the remaining whites. Slip gently into the prepared dish. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35-40 minutes. Serve immediately.
Recipe created 1996-09-09.
