Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Time: About 1 hour
If you’ve ever had a soufflé, you know how impressive and delicious it is, lofty and both light and rich. What you might not know is how easy it is to bake; the trick is serving it as soon as it’s out of the oven, since it’ll start to “deflate” almost immediately (in which case it will be just as delicious and only a little bit less impressive). This makes one large soufflé or 4 to 6 individual soufflés in 1½- to 2-cup ramekins; the cooking time may be reduced by as much as half with the smaller dishes.
1. Use a bit of butter to grease a 2-quart soufflé or other deep baking dish, preferably one with straight sides. (Hold off on this step if you’re going to delay baking the soufflés until later.)
2. Put the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When the foam subsides, stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture darkens, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the milk, a bit at a time, whisking until the mixture is thick. Let cool for a few minutes, then beat in the egg yolks, cheeses, cayenne, and some salt and pepper. (You can prepare this base a few hours ahead of cooking; cover tightly and refrigerate; bring back to room temperature before continuing.)
3. When you’re almost ready to cook, heat the oven to 375°F. Use an electric mixer or a whisk to beat the egg whites until fairly stiff. Stir about a third into the base to lighten it, then gently—and not overthoroughly—fold in the remaining whites using a rubber spatula or your hand. Transfer to the prepared dish and bake for about 30 minutes, until the top is brown, the sides are firm, and the center is still moist. Use a thin skewer to check the interior; if it is still soupy, bake for another 5 minutes. If it is just a bit moist, the soufflé is done. Serve immediately.
MUSTARD AND GRUYèRE SOUFFLé with Rosemary Use 1 cup Gruyère for the cheese and omit the cayenne. Stir 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary into the base mixture along with the salt and pepper.
SALMON SOUFFLé WITH CREAM CHEESE AND DILL Omit the cayenne and use ½ cup cream cheese instead of the grated cheeses. Use a fork to roughly mash about 1 cup cooked salmon; stir it into the base mixture along with salt and pepper. Just before adding the egg whites, stir in a couple tablespoons chopped fresh dill.
BLUE CHEESE SOUFFLé WITH WALNUTS Use ½ cup crumbled blue cheese for the cheese and omit the cayenne. Stir 1 cup roughly chopped (and toasted if you like; see page 57) walnuts into the base mixture along with the salt and pepper.