Francoise's Cheese Souffle--souffle Au Fromage De Francoise

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 5 tablespoons butter, plus more for the souffle dish
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• salt
• pepper
• grated nutmeg
• 5 eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 cups grated gruyere cheese
• 3 egg whites

Recipe

• 1 melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat; whisk in the flour, and cook until foaming.
• 2 add the milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens.
• 3 season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and simmer for 1 minute.
• 4 take the pan from the heat and whisk the egg yolks into the hot sauce so that they cook and thicken slightly.
• 5 stir in the cheese, reserving a tablespoon for topping.
• 6 taste and adjust seasoning.
• 7 the mixture should be highly seasoned to compensate for the bland egg whites.
• 8 press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming.
• 9 position a shelf in the lower third of the oven and remove the shelves above.
• 10 preheat oven to 425°.
• 11 thickly butter a 2-quart souffle dish, particularly around the rim.
• 12 reheat the cheese mixture until hot to the touch but do not let it boil, or it will cook into strings.
• 13 whisk the egg whites until stiff using a stand mixer and adding a pinch of salt to help the whites stiffen.
• 14 add about 1/4 of the egg whites to the hot cheese mixture and stir them together thoroughly.
• 15 add this mixture to the remaining egg whites and fold them together as lightly as possible.
• 16 spoon the mixture into the prepared dish; it should fill almost to the rim.
• 17 sprinkle the reserved cheese on top, and then run your thumb around the inside rim of the dish so the souffle rises evenly.
• 18 bake until puffed and brown, 20-25 minutes; if you like the center soft, remove the souffle when it still wobbles slightly if gently shaken; if you prefer it firm, leave it for another 3-5 minutes.
• 19 set the dish on a plate lined with a napkin, so the dish cannot slip.
• 20 take the souffle to the table at once.