Soufflé au Fromage
The word soufflé comes from the French verb 'to blow' — a literal description of what the dish does: it puffs up with air in the oven. The recipe appears in French cooking in the 18th century, but earned its reputation as the ultimate test of a cook's skill in the 20th century, when the fallen soufflé became a comic cliché for dinners gone wrong. What separates a successful soufflé from a failed one isn't a secret ingredient but timing: the egg whites must be folded in right before baking, and the soufflé must be eaten within minutes of leaving the oven. The structure holding it up is purely mechanical — the air trapped in the egg whites expands with heat — and it starts collapsing the moment it cools and that air contracts again.
Béchamel as the base
A thick base that can support the weight of whipped egg whites
Stiffly whipped egg whites
The air trapped inside makes the soufflé rise, not baking powder
Dish buttered and dusted with parmesan
Helps the batter grip and climb straight up the sides
Served straight from the oven
Sinks within 2-3 minutes, so it can't wait
Ingredients 4 servings
- 40g butter (plus extra for greasing the dish)
- 40g flour
- 300ml warm milk
- 150g grated gruyère (plus extra for dusting the dish)
- 40g grated parmesan
- 4 egg yolks
- 5 egg whites
- A pinch of nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
How to make it
- 1PREPARE THE DISH: generously butter a soufflé dish, then dust the inside with parmesan, shaking out the excess.
- 2Chill in the fridge.
- 3MAKE THE BÉCHAMEL: melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir for 1-2 minutes over low heat.
- 4Pour in the warm milk gradually, stirring constantly, until you get a thick, smooth sauce.
- 5Remove from heat.
- 6ADD THE CHEESE AND YOLKS: stir the gruyère, salt, pepper and nutmeg into the sauce while still warm, then add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each.
- 7WHIP THE EGG WHITES: whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff and glossy, forming firm peaks.
- 8FOLD IN CAREFULLY: fold a third of the egg whites into the sauce and mix vigorously to loosen it.
- 9Fold in the remaining whites with wide, bottom-to-top strokes, without letting them deflate.
- 10POUR AND LEVEL: pour the mixture into the prepared dish almost to the rim and smooth the surface with a spatula.
- 11Run your thumb around the inside edge of the dish to help the soufflé rise straight.
- 12BAKE IMMEDIATELY: bake at 190°C for 25-30 minutes, without opening the oven door, until well risen and golden on top.
- 13SERVE AT ONCE: remove from the oven and serve immediately, while still puffed up.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
