Parmesan Gruyere Souffle Food

CLASSIC CHEESE SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Mix 50g butter and flour into a paste (known as beurre manié, see notes, below). Chill to firm for about 30 mins. Heat milk to boiling point with the onion, spices and bay leaf, then simmer gently for 5 mins. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Taste milk for flavour.
• Strain the milk into a large pan, pressing down on the onion to extract the maximum of flavour. Place the pan back on the heat and gradually whisk in the butter paste, adding in small pieces until you have a thick sauce.
• Season, then leave to cool for 3-4 mins. Whisk in egg yolks, grated gruyère and cheddar, plus two-thirds of the parmesan. Add the Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Check seasoning, leave to cool. Can be made 2 days ahead - bring to room temperature before continuing.
• Brush the insides of a soufflé dish (approx 20 x 8cm deep) with the remaining 25g butter, using upward brush strokes. Coat the base and sides evenly with some parmesan and freshly ground black pepper. Chill to set. Cut the gruyère slice into diamond shapes.
• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Coat a large, grease-free bowl with the lemon juice (see tip, below). Whisk the egg whites in the bowl, then whisk a third of them into the cheese mixture, to loosen. Carefully fold remaining egg whites into cheese mixture until well mixed, but still light.
• Spoon half the mixture into prepared dish. Dot with brie and top with remaining mixture. Gently level the top. Arrange gruyère on top, scatter with remaining parmesan. Bake for 10 mins. Reduce oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4, bake for 15-20 mins. The soufflé should be evenly risen and slightly wobbly. Serve immediately - the centre will be soft, but will thicken slightly when served.

PARMESAN AND GRUYèRE CHEESE SOUFFLé

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and place a baking sheet in it to warm. Brush the soufflé dish(es) evenly with the melted butter, and if you like, sprinkle with a little freshly grated Parmesan.
• Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over a lowish heat. Stir in the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, over a gentle heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Take off the heat and gradually whisk in the milk. Then return the pan to the heat and whisk until it comes to a boil. Cover and simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Separate the eggs. Place the whites in a large bowl, making sure it is spotlessly clean and dry. Then whisk the yolks, one by one, into the white sauce. Add both cheeses and season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and a little freshly grated nutmeg. It should taste hugely, overly seasoned at this point because the egg whites will dull the seasoning later. Stir over a gentle heat for just a few seconds until the cheese melts. Remove from the heat.
• Using clean beaters, beat the egg whites with a little pinch of salt, slowly at first and then faster, until they are light and voluminous and hold a stiff peak when you lift up the beaters. Gently stir a few tablespoons of whipped whites into the cheese mixture to lighten it, and then carefully fold in the rest of the whites with a spatula.
• Using a light touch, scrape or spoon the mixture into the prepared soufflé dish(es). If using individual dishes, bear in mind if you fill them three-quarters full, you will get about 10 soufflés, but if you fill the dishes to the top, you will have about 8 soufflés. (The soufflé(s) can covered in plastic wrap and frozen at this point. Simply add a few more minutes to the baking time.)
• Bake in the oven for 8 to 9 minutes for individual soufflés, 20 to 25 minutes for the large one. For the large soufflé, you will need to reduce the temperature to 350°F (175°C) after 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

GRUYèRE AND PARMESAN CHEESE SOUFFLé

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Generously butter one 10-cup soufflé dish or six 1 1/4-cup soufflé dishes; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to coat. (If using 1 1/4-cup dishes, place all 6 on rimmed baking sheet.) Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, cayenne pepper and nutmeg. Cook without browning until mixture begins to bubble, whisking constantly, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, then wine. Cook until smooth, thick and beginning to boil, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix yolks, salt and pepper in small bowl. Add yolk mixture all at once to sauce and whisk quickly to blend. Fold in 1 1/4 cups Gruyère cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (cheeses do not need to melt). Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/4 of whites into lukewarm soufflé base to lighten. Fold in remaining whites. Transfer soufflé mixture to prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Gruyère cheese.
• Place soufflé in oven; reduce heat to 375°F. Bake soufflé until puffed, golden and gently set in center, about 40 minutes for large soufflé (or 25 minutes for small soufflés). Using oven mitts, transfer soufflé to platter and serve immediately.

CHEESE SOUFFLé

Steps:

• Using 10 grams (2 teaspoons) butter, grease a 2-quart soufflé dish. Dust with 12 grams (2 tablespoons) Parmesan. Heat oven to 400 degrees with rack positioned in the lower third.
• Make the béchamel: Place a strainer over a large bowl and set aside. Heat remaining butter over medium heat in a heavy medium-size saucepan. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened (do not brown), 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until smooth and bubbling, but not browned. It should have the texture of wet sand. Remove from heat and whisk in milk all at once. Return to heat and bring to a simmer while whisking. Continue to whisk until mixture begins to thicken. Turn heat to very low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often with a whisk and scraping bottom and edges of pan with a rubber spatula. The sauce will be quite thick and should have no taste of raw flour. Add 3 grams ( 1/2 teaspoon) salt, the white pepper and the nutmeg. While it is still hot, strain sauce into the large bowl.
• Immediately beat egg yolks into sauce, one at a time. Adjust salt and pepper.
• In a stand mixer or using electric beaters, begin beating egg whites on low speed. When they begin to foam, add cream of tartar and a pinch of salt. Continue to beat until they form stiff but not dry peaks. Be careful not to overbeat or egg whites will fall apart when you fold them into sauce, which will make your soufflé mixture grainy.
• Using a large rubber spatula, stir a quarter of the egg whites into sauce. Stir in Gruyère, remaining Parmesan and truffle if using. Gently fold remaining whites into mixture, working rapidly but gingerly so whites don't collapse. Carefully spoon or pour mixture into prepared soufflé dish and place dish on a baking sheet.
• Place in oven, turning heat down to 375 degrees as soon as you close the oven door. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until soufflé has puffed above the top of the dish, and soufflé top is golden brown. Turn off oven. If desired, let sit 5 minutes (the sauce in the middle will thicken slightly, but the soufflé will remain puffed) or serve at once. The center of the soufflé should be saucy. When you serve the soufflé, spoon sauce from the middle over each fluffy serving.

GRUYèRE AND CHIVE SOUFFLé

Steps:

• Remove wire racks from oven and place a baking sheet directly on oven floor. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter a 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish. Coat bottom and sides with 3 tablespoons/15 grams Parmesan, tapping out any excess.
• In a small pot, heat milk until steaming. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook until the mixture foams, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in warm milk. Return to heat and cook until thickened, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and whisk in paprika, salt and nutmeg. Whisk in egg yolks one at a time, blending fully after each addition. Transfer flour and yolk mixture to a large bowl.
• Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar at medium speed until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
• Whisk a quarter of the whites into the lukewarm yolk mixture to lighten. Gently fold in remaining whites in 2 additions while gradually sprinkling in Gruyère cheese, remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan and the chives. Transfer batter to prepared dish. Rub your thumb around the inside edge of the dish to create a 1/4-inch or so space between the dish and the soufflé mixture.
• Transfer dish to baking sheet in the oven and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake until soufflé is puffed and golden brown on top and center barely moves when dish is shaken gently, about 30 minutes. (Do not open oven door during first 20 minutes.) Bake it a little less for a runnier soufflé and a little more for a firmer soufflé. Serve immediately.