Three-cheese soufflé might sound a little intimidating, but this savoury twist on a traditionally sweet pastry is easy and delicious. This lighter-than-air soufflé is a great dish if you’re looking for something unusual for afternoon tea.
Recipe by Alida Ryder
Three-cheese soufflé
Ingredients
- 50g butter + extra, for greasing
- 50g flour
- 300ml milk
- 2,5ml (½ tsp) Dijon mustard
- pinch of grated nutmeg
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- ±250g (2 cups) grated/crumbled cheese of your choice (we used mature Cheddar, Parmesan and Gorgonzola) + extra, to serve
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 eggs, separated
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease 6 ramekins with butter.
Melt the 50g butter in a pot over medium heat and stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute.
Slowly pour in the milk while whisking. Lower the heat and allow the béchamel to simmer gently until the sauce tastes silky, 5 – 10 minutes.
Add the mustard, nutmeg and cayenne pepper, and remove from heat.
Stir in the cheese and season to taste.
Allow the cheese sauce to cool for 10 minutes then whisk in the egg yolks, taking care it doesn’t curdle. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Using a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peak stage. Slowly fold the egg whites into the cheese sauce.
Carefully divide the mixture between the ramekins then run your finger along the inside of the rim to create a border.
Arrange the ramekins on a baking sheet, place in the preheated oven and bake until puffed and golden brown, 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with extra cheese and serve immediately.
