These soufflés are twice baked, unlike the traditional light and fluffy soufflé. Baking them twice means you can make them 2 days ahead of time and simply warm before serving as part of your Christmas spread. They do take some time to make, but are so worth it as something completely different and delicious on your table.
Recipe and styling by Claire Ferrandi
Photograph by Dylan Swart
Make-ahead twice-baked sweetcorn and cheddar soufflés
Ingredients
- butter, to grease + 50g
- 450g frozen sweetcorn kernels, defrosted
- 500ml (2 cups) fresh cream + 125ml (½ cup)
- large pinch dried chilli flakes
- handful thyme leaves
- 50g cake flour
- 4 eggs, separated
- 300g matured Cheddar, finely grated
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Grease 6 standard ramekins generously with butter, then place them in a roasting tray.
Put the sweetcorn kernels in a pot with the 500ml (2 cups) fresh cream, chilli flakes and thyme leaves, and allow to simmer over low heat, about 10 minutes, until the corn is cooked and tender. Place the mixture in a blender and blitz until very smooth, then strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard any bits that remain in the sieve.
Preheat the oven to 200˚C. Melt 50g butter in a pan over low heat, then add the cake flour and cook over low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the corn-and-cream mixture to the pan, stirring all the time with the wooden spoon until you have a lump-free sauce. Simmer gently, stirring, 5 minutes or until thick and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
Add the 4 egg yolks to the cooled mixture in the pan and beat well with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add 100g of the grated matured Cheddar, mix to combine and season to taste.
Boil the kettle. In a scrupulously clean and dry bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peak stage, then add approximately _ of the egg whites to the sweetcorn mixture and fold in gently (this will loosen the mixture). Add the remaining egg whites and fold in very gently with a metal spoon until just combined. (Do not overfold this mixture, as you want the egg whites to retain the air – stop folding as soon as the mixture is combined and no streaks remain.)
Divide the mixture among the 6 greased ramekins, then pour enough boiling water into the roasting tray around the ramekins to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in the preheated oven, 20 minutes. Remove the roasting tray from the oven, take the ramekins out of the tray carefully and allow to cool, about 1 hour.
Thoroughly grease a deep, ovenproof serving dish with butter, then run a knife around the walls of the ramekins to turn out the soufflés and place them in the greased serving dish. If you’re making your soufflés ahead, cover the dish with cling film and refrigerate.
About 40 minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 200˚C. Pour the 125ml (½ cup) fresh cream around the soufflés and sprinkle over the remaining 200g grated matured Cheddar. Bake in the preheated oven, 20 minutes and serve.
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
