The Untempermental Spinach And Cheese Souffles Food

SPINACH AND CHEDDAR SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 6 to 8-cup souffle dish (6 1/2 to 7 1/2 inches in diameter by 3 1/2 inches deep) and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the hot milk, the nutmeg, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, until smooth and thick.
• Off the heat, while still hot, whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the Cheddar, 1/4 cup of Parmesan and the spinach and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• Put the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, on medium speed for 1 minute, then finally on high speed until they form firm, glossy peaks.
• Whisk one quarter of the egg whites into the cheese sauce to lighten and then fold in the rest. Pour into the souffle dish, then smooth the top. Draw a large circle on top with the spatula to help the souffle rise evenly, and place in the middle of the oven. Turn the temperature down to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (don't peek!) until puffed and brown. Serve immediately.

SPINACH SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the spinach in a colander to drain, pressing out as much excess liquid as you can.
• Make the bechamel sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add the flour and stir until it becomes a thick paste. Add the milk 1/2 cup at a time, whisking well after each addition, until you have a smooth sauce. Remove from the heat and whisk in the salt, nutmeg and pepper. Taste for seasoning. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Beat the egg whites until just frothy with an electric mixer. Add the cream of tartar and beat on high speed until it forms firm peaks. Set aside.
• Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl until they are pale yellow, then add the warm bechamel sauce a bit at a time. Switch to a large rubber spatula; gently mix in the spinach, Parmesan and 1/2 cup Romano. Fold in a third of the egg whites to lighten, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites until thoroughly combined but still light and fluffy.
• Lightly grease a 2-quart souffle dish with cooking spray or softened butter, then add the remaining 1/2 cup Romano and rotate the dish to coat the bottom and sides with the cheese. Pour in the souffle batter, then bake until puffy and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

THE VERY MOST BASIC SPINACH AND CHEESE SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and dust a 1-1/2 quart souffle dish with grated Parmesan or breadcrumbs. Separate the eggs. Put egg whites in mixer bowl with cream of tartar. To make a white sauce, in a medium saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter or margarine until it bubbles. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly. Stir in milk all at once, than cook and stir until mixture boils and is smooth and thickened. To flavor the white sauce, stir in the cheese until melted. Stir in the spinach. Set aside. Beat the egg whites only until they cling to the side of the mixing bowl when you roll and tilt it. Add the yolks to the sauce, and stir. To fold the sauce into the whites, first mix about a quarter of the whites right into the sauce in the pan, then empty the sauce into the whites in the mixing bowl. Gingerly but thoroughly fold the sauce into the whites. Then pour that mixture into the prepared souffle dish. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes. Don't open oven door for at least 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

SOUFFLE OF SPINACH AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Butter a five-cup souffle dish, making sure to butter the rim well. Place oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Remove spinach stems and wash leaves. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water cook spinach, uncovered, about three minutes or until very tender. Drain. Rinse under cold water and drain again. Squeeze by handfuls until dry. Puree in a food processor until finely chopped.
• Crumble cheese or cut into pieces and set aside.
• In a small, heavy saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, about two minutes, until foaming but not browned. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk in the milk, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking, reduce heat to low, continue to cook, still whisking, about two minutes. Whisk in spinach puree and goat cheese, bring to a simmer. Season lightly with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Remove from heat and whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Heat gently until slightly thickened, but do not allow to boil. Re-season if necessary.
• Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff but still supple. Quickly fold one-quarter of the whites into the warm spinach mixture. Spoon the mixture into the remaining whites and fold in lightly but quickly.
• Transfer mixture to prepared souffle dish and smooth the top. Bake 20 minutes till puffed and browned. Souffle should shake slightly in the center when the dish is moved. Do not overbake. Serve at once.

SPINACH SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Position rack in the center of the oven. Coat a 2-quart souffle dish or 6 individual (8-ounce) dishes with cooking spray. Coat with breadcrumbs. Tap out excess; set aside.
• Fill a bowl with ice and water; set aside. Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan; fill with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil, and add the spinach. Cover, and steam until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain, and plunge into ice bath to stop cooking. Let cool, and squeeze out excess water. Place the spinach in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until finely chopped; set aside. You should have about 1 cup.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk, and bring just to a simmer. Cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk 2 egg yolks until blended. Whisk in a little white sauce to temper the eggs, then add the remaining sauce, whisking until combined. Add the cooked spinach and grated cheese.
• Place the 4 egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low until soft peaks begin to form. Increase speed to high; beat until stiff peaks form and egg whites are smooth.
• Using a rubber spatula, transfer 1/3 of egg whites to spinach mixture; gently fold in until blended. Add spinach mixture to remaining egg whites; gently fold in until just combined. Pour into prepared dish or dishes.
• Place souffle in oven, and reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve.

ANNE'S TWICE-BAKED SPINACH SOUFFLéS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Generously butter six 8-ounce ramekins or one 6-cup jumbo muffin tin or silicone muffin mold.
• To prepare the spinach, in a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until soft and translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the well-drained spinach and season with cayenne, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring, until the mixture is well combined and all the moisture has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
• To prepare the béchamel sauce, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, and cook until foaming but not browned, about 1 minute. Whisk in the warmed milk. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once it is at a boil, continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
• You will use two-thirds of this sauce as the base for the soufflés. The remaining one-third will be the coating sauce at the end. Transfer one-third of the sauce to a small saucepan. Add the half-and-half and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Stir the spinach into the larger amount of sauce; taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the egg yolks one at a time, stirring between each addition. Set aside.
• To make the soufflés, 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.
• To lighten the soufflé, add about one-fourth of the beaten egg whites to the spinach-sauce mixture and whisk until well mixed. Pour this mixture over the remaining whites and fold together until smooth.
• Fill the prepared ramekins with the mixture. Place them on a baking sheet and bake until the soufflés are puffed and browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Leave the oven on.
• Transfer the soufflés to a rack and cool slightly. Turn out each soufflé into a large gratin dish or casserole. If the soufflés stick, release them by running a butter knife or offset spatula around the rims. Set aside.
• To finish the soufflés, bring the reserved cream sauce to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the mustard and 1/4 cup of the Gruyère cheese. Stir to combine, then taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the soufflés to coat, then sprinkle each evenly with the remaining 1/4 cup Gruyère. (The dish may be made to this point and held at room temperature for up to 1 hour or covered in the refrigerator for up 24 hours. However, it is important to bring the dish to room temperature before browning.)
• Bake the sauce-covered soufflés in the gratin dish until browned and bubbling, 7 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
• béchamel sauce
• Whether called béchamel (French), balsamella (Italian), or white sauce, this classic sauce is based on a thickener (a roux) made of butter and flour that is whisked together with milk. Simple seasonings include nutmeg, salt, and pepper, but the flavor is improved if the milk is first infused with aromatics like bay leaf and peppercorns. It is as simple as making tea: place the milk and aromatics in a pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat and let rest for about 10 minutes; strain out and discard the aromatics.
• Béchamel sauce is the workhorse of cuisine. You can change its consistency by varying the proportions of roux to milk. The more roux, the thicker the sauce, and vice versa. Thin sauces are used as bases for soups and other sauces. Add cheese, for example, and it's Sauce Mornay. A medium béchamel sauce is used for coating and in vegetarian lasagna. Thick béchamel is the base for savory soufflés.