Double Baked Cheddar Soufflés Food

DOUBLE-BAKED CHEDDAR SOUFFLéS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Put milk, onion, nutmeg and bay leaves into a pan. Bring to the boil, then set side to infuse for 30 mins. Butter 8 x 150ml ramekins.
• Melt the butter in a second saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook gently for 1 min, stirring. Take off the heat and gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Discard onion and bay leaf. Return to the hob and stir until the sauce boils and thickens.
• Off the heat, stir in the mustard, egg yolks and three-quarters of the cheese, then season. Scrape mixture into a large mixing bowl. In another big bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Boil a full kettle. Carefully fold the whites into the cheese mix and fill ramekins twothirds full. Transfer to a roasting tin, then pour the boiling water into the tin until it reaches halfway up the ramekins. Bake for 15-20 mins or until risen, just set and still a little wobbly. Take out of the tin and leave to cool.
• To serve, heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7(or leave it at 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 if you are cooking the lamb). Loosen soufflés around the edges with a knife, then turn out, upside down, into a shallow ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with rest of cheese, then spoon 1 tbsp cream over each soufflé. Bake for 10-12 mins till puffed and golden on the top (or 12-15 mins at the lower temperature). Serve at once with Crunchy celery & apple salad, below.

DOUBLE-BAKED THREE-CHEESE SOUFFLéS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour twelve 1/3-cup ramekins. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in the milk and 1 cup of the heavy cream until smooth; bring to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, whisking, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the goat cheese. Scrape the sauce into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
• Beat the egg yolks into the sauce. Stir in the Roquefort and 1/2 cup of the Gruyère. Season with salt and white pepper.
• In a large stainless steel bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until almost firm. Using a large rubber spatula, fold one-third of the beaten whites into the cheese sauce, then fold in the remaining egg whites just until blended. Gently spoon the soufflé mixture into the prepared ramekins, filling them three-fourths full. Set the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Run your thumb around the rim of each ramekin to clean the inside.
• Bake the soufflés for 25 minutes, or until well risen and golden but not quite set in the center. Let cool, then invert the soufflés onto a large heatproof platter or into individual gratin dishes.
• Preheat the oven to 400°. Pour 2 tablespoons of the remaining heavy cream over each soufflé and sprinkle them with the remaining 1 cup of Gruyère. Bake the soufflés for 8 to 10 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. If baking the soufflés on a platter, use a flat spatula to transfer them with their cream to plates, then serve.

TWICE-BAKED GARLIC SOUFFLéS

Steps:

• Melt 1 tbsp of the butter and add the garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, pepper to taste, 3/4 cup water and the vinegar. Simmer covered for 10 minutes, then uncover and boil till the water has evaporated. Add the milk, bring to the boil, then process in a blender. Measure 1 cup garlic-milk mixture.
• Heat the remaining butter and stir in the flour and thyme. Cook for a minute, then make a white sauce by gradually stirring in the garlic milk till thick. Transfer to a big bowl, add the grated cheese, three-quarters of the Parmesan, then the egg yolks. Set aside.
• Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F convection). Butter the individual soufflé dishes and dust the sides with the remaining Parmesan; if you have any left over, stir into the sauce. Set in a roasting pan and put a kettle on to boil.
• Beat egg whites till firm but not dry. Fold half into the soufflé base, then add the rest. Spoon into the dishes (fill them almost to the top), pour boiling water into the pan to one-third of the depth of the dishes and bake for 20-25 minutes, till puffed and cooked through. Remove from oven and leave to cool-they will sink.
• When cool, run a knife round the edge to loosen each soufflé, gently upend on to your hand, then put the right way up on one big dish or 6 gratin dishes. (You can make the soufflés a day ahead, or even freeze them. Make sure they are at room temperature before the second baking.)
• To serve, set your oven to 400°F (375°F convection). Mix the cream with salt and pepper, grated nutmeg and Parmesan or other cheese. Pour over the soufflés to cover completely, then if you wish sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake for 10-15 minutes, till golden and the sauce bubbling. They will gently re-puff.

TWICE BAKED CHEDDAR SOUFFLES

Steps:

• Put the milk in a small pan with the onion and bay leaf.
• Bring slowly to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.
• Remove the onion and the bayleaf.
• Prehat oven to 200*C (400*F).
• In another pan, melt the butter, then add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
• Remove from the heat, then gradually stir in the infused milk.
• Return to the heat and stir constantly until thickened and just beginning to boil.
• Remove from the heat, then add 125g (4 oz) of the cheese and the mustard.
• Season well and add a good pinch of nutmeg, then beat in the egg yolks.
• Butter six 150ml (1/4 pint) ramekins.
• Put the kettle on to boil.
• Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the cheese sauce.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins, then put them in a roasting tin.
• Pour enough boiling water into the tin carefully, to come up halfway up the ramekins.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until set and golden.
• Leave to cool.
• Run a knife around the edge of each ramekin, then carefully turn the souffles out on to a buttered oven proof dish.
• To serve turn the oven to 220*C (425*F).
• Season the cream with salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour it over the souffles.
• Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and bake for 15 minutes, until the cream is bubbling and the souffles have risen.
• Remove with a palate knife and serve immediately, garnished with parsley.
• NOTE: You can complete the recipe to the end of the first baking and put them in the buttered dish, cover and store them in the fridge up to a day ahead.