For a recent radio show, I was asked to cook a dish in homage to the colossus that is cheese. Cheese is one of my favourite foods. Scrap that – it is more than one of my favourite foods; it is one of my favourite things in general, period.
Souffles on the other hand – nah. I’m sure that sounds somewhat plebish, but I’m not afraid of admitting it. I do not like souffles. In my view, they are pointless. In order to reach their lofty, impressive heights, they need to trap oodles of air inside. And guess what – air tastes pretty, damn bland. And such is my experience always with souffles – bland, bland, bland. Spongy, inconsistent, insubstantial, style over substance.
However, this is where the Twice Baked Cheese Souffle dives in and saves the day. Composed of strong, pungent cheese, dense and rich, smothered in a sharp cheese sauce and fragrant with chives. Ideal! Nor does it’s name have to strike fear into the hearts of cooks – because it’s twice baked it doesn’t even have to be towering! You bake it once, deliberately let it sink, drown it in dairy and gulp it down. Beyond ideal.
Anyway – give this a try. Totally achievable and you’ll give pretentious people a thrill if you cook it for dinner.
See below the recipe to be linked to the episode too – why not cook along to me cooking this!
Souffles on the other hand – nah. I’m sure that sounds somewhat plebish, but I’m not afraid of admitting it. I do not like souffles. In my view, they are pointless. In order to reach their lofty, impressive heights, they need to trap oodles of air inside. And guess what – air tastes pretty, damn bland. And such is my experience always with souffles – bland, bland, bland. Spongy, inconsistent, insubstantial, style over substance.
However, this is where the Twice Baked Cheese Souffle dives in and saves the day. Composed of strong, pungent cheese, dense and rich, smothered in a sharp cheese sauce and fragrant with chives. Ideal! Nor does it’s name have to strike fear into the hearts of cooks – because it’s twice baked it doesn’t even have to be towering! You bake it once, deliberately let it sink, drown it in dairy and gulp it down. Beyond ideal.
Anyway – give this a try. Totally achievable and you’ll give pretentious people a thrill if you cook it for dinner.
See below the recipe to be linked to the episode too – why not cook along to me cooking this!
Recipe
Ingredients (makes 6 souffles):
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
3 eggs, separated
40g butter, plus extra to grease
100g strong, mature cheddar, grated
1 onion, peeled and cut into wedges
275ml whole milk
1 bay leaf
40g plain flour
1 tsp mustard
salt and pepper
For the second baking:
6 tbsp double cream
50g strong cheddar, grated
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 200 Celsius. Butter 6 ramekins and line the bases with baking paper.
2. Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the bay leaf and onion. Simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes, making sure it doesn’t boil over. Remove from the heat and set to one side to cool for a few minutes.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan, remove from the heat and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. When smooth return to the heat and cook for a minute until it begins to bubble, stirring. Then remove from the heat.
4. Strain the milk through a sieve and discard the onion and bay leaf – they are just used to flavour the milk! Make sure you have around 250mls of milk – if you need more or less, just pour some away or add some fresh milk. Stir the milk gradually into the roux (flour and butter mix). Return to the heat and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until it comes to a boil and thickens.
5. Once it has thickened add the cheddar, mustard, salt and pepper and cook until the cheese has melted and you have a thick, smooth mixture. Stir in the chives and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
6. Once cooled beat in the egg yolks gradually.
7. Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until they form stiff peaks. Now add a large spoonful of the white mix into the cheese mixture and very gently fold in. This first spoonful prepares the thick cheese mix to receive the rest of the egg whites. Then gradually fold in the rest. You want to keep as much air inside the mix as possible so it rises and is light, so be very gentle.
8. Spoon the mix into the ramekins and bake in the centre of the hot oven for 15-20 minutes until it is well risen and golden brown on top. Do not open the oven, especially during the first 12 minutes of cooking or your souffles will collapse. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
9. When they are cool, slide a knife around the edge of your souffles and spoon out. Place into a baking dish upside down.
10. 2nd baking: Preheat your oven to 200 Celsius.
11. Sprinkle your souffles with grated cheese and spoon over the double cream. Bake for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted into the double cream and it is golden brown on top. Serve immediately.
Good with a simple side salad and garnished with some chopped chives.
Ingredients (makes 6 souffles):
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
3 eggs, separated
40g butter, plus extra to grease
100g strong, mature cheddar, grated
1 onion, peeled and cut into wedges
275ml whole milk
1 bay leaf
40g plain flour
1 tsp mustard
salt and pepper
For the second baking:
6 tbsp double cream
50g strong cheddar, grated
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 200 Celsius. Butter 6 ramekins and line the bases with baking paper.
2. Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the bay leaf and onion. Simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes, making sure it doesn’t boil over. Remove from the heat and set to one side to cool for a few minutes.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan, remove from the heat and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. When smooth return to the heat and cook for a minute until it begins to bubble, stirring. Then remove from the heat.
4. Strain the milk through a sieve and discard the onion and bay leaf – they are just used to flavour the milk! Make sure you have around 250mls of milk – if you need more or less, just pour some away or add some fresh milk. Stir the milk gradually into the roux (flour and butter mix). Return to the heat and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until it comes to a boil and thickens.
5. Once it has thickened add the cheddar, mustard, salt and pepper and cook until the cheese has melted and you have a thick, smooth mixture. Stir in the chives and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
6. Once cooled beat in the egg yolks gradually.
7. Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until they form stiff peaks. Now add a large spoonful of the white mix into the cheese mixture and very gently fold in. This first spoonful prepares the thick cheese mix to receive the rest of the egg whites. Then gradually fold in the rest. You want to keep as much air inside the mix as possible so it rises and is light, so be very gentle.
8. Spoon the mix into the ramekins and bake in the centre of the hot oven for 15-20 minutes until it is well risen and golden brown on top. Do not open the oven, especially during the first 12 minutes of cooking or your souffles will collapse. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
9. When they are cool, slide a knife around the edge of your souffles and spoon out. Place into a baking dish upside down.
10. 2nd baking: Preheat your oven to 200 Celsius.
11. Sprinkle your souffles with grated cheese and spoon over the double cream. Bake for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted into the double cream and it is golden brown on top. Serve immediately.
Good with a simple side salad and garnished with some chopped chives.
onions and milk infusing
roux time
thickening up
folding in the egg whites – gently does it
rise baby rise
ready to be cheesed up
twice baked.
InGoodTaste at ZoneOneRadio episode of me cooking this!! Listen and cook along!
http://www.mixcloud.com/InGoodTaste/ingoodtaste-grated-expectations-the-cheese-episode/
http://www.mixcloud.com/InGoodTaste/ingoodtaste-grated-expectations-the-cheese-episode/
