Soufflé au fromage
Classic French cheese soufflé, puffed and golden
The cheese soufflé is a French bistro classic and a favourite family starter or light supper all over France, often served with a green salad and a glass of white wine. A thick cheese sauce is lightened with whisked egg whites and baked until it rises tall above the dish, golden and crusty outside and soft, almost creamy in the middle. It sounds hard but it's mostly about timing. We thicken the sauce with cornflour so it's gluten free (classic recipes use plain flour). Comté and Gruyère are made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian alternative. Chef's tip: fold the whites in gently with a big spoon, in three goes; stirring hard is the common mistake that knocks out the air so it never rises.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dish
For the soufflé
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan) with a baking tray inside. Brush a 1.5-litre soufflé dish with ½ oz butter, using upward strokes, then coat with 2 tbsp vegetarian hard cheese.
Step 2: Melt 1 ⅜ oz butter in a pan over a medium heat, stir in 1 oz cornflour and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in 1 ¼ cups milk gradually and cook, whisking, for 2–3 minutes, until very thick and smooth.
3 minStep 3: Take off the heat and beat in 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 pinch nutmeg, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp white pepper, then 4 egg yolks one at a time and finally 4 oz Comté or Gruyère cheese. It should be thick and glossy.
Step 4: Whisk 5 egg whites in a very clean bowl to firm peaks that stand up but still look moist, not dry and grainy.
Step 5: Stir a big spoonful of whites into the cheese sauce to loosen it. Then fold in the rest in two goes with a large metal spoon, cutting and turning, until just combined with no big white streaks.
Step 6: Pour into the dish and run your thumb around the inside edge to make a 1 cm groove; this helps it rise straight. Put on the hot tray and bake for 25–30 minutes, without opening the door for the first 20, until tall, deep golden and only slightly wobbly when nudged.
28 minStep 7: Serve immediately; a soufflé begins to sink within minutes.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 370 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 11 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does soufflé au fromage take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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