Southerners have a bad habit of calling any dish with whipped egg white in it a soufflé—hence all those recipes for cheese grits soufflé and sweet potato soufflé. Believe me, there is way too much butter in both of those concoctions for them to ever rise, especially the latter, which is typically topped with marshmallows. This classic French soufflé is the real thing, and uses the béchamel method (see page 67). It is very important to use low-moisture cheese when making soufflés. Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano are perfect because they are very flavorful, but dry and not overly fatty. Rich, fatty cheeses like blue or Brie are too heavy and your soufflé won’t rise as tall.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Using 2 tablespoons of the butter, grease a 1-quart soufflé dish or four 8-ounce soufflé ramekins and sprinkle with Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese to coat. (If using the ramekins, place them on a baking sheet.)
Step 2
To make the béchamel sauce, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, and cook until foaming but not browned, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk. Add the cayenne and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper; bring to a boil over high heat. Once it is at a boil, continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
Step 3
Whisk together the yolks and a bit more salt and pepper in a small bowl. Temper the yolks so they won’t curdle from the heat of the sauce: first, add a little of the hot sauce to the yolks and whisk to combine. Add the yolk mixture a little at a time to the béchamel sauce and whisk quickly to blend. Fold in the Gruyère, the remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, and the herbs. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Step 4
To beat the egg whites, in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt on medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 5
Add about one-fourth of the beaten egg whites to the sauce mixture and stir until well mixed. Pour this lightened mixture over the remaining whites and fold them together as gently as possible.
Step 6
Fill the prepared dish with the mixture, smoothing the top with a metal spatula. Run your thumb around the inside edge of the rim, making a shallow channel around the batter.
Step 7
Place the soufflé in the oven, reduce the heat to 375°F, and bake until puffed, golden, and just set in the center, about 25 minutes for one large soufflé or 12 to 15 minutes for individual soufflés. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
