‘A light, cheesy cloud’: If you can make bechamel, you can make this three-cheese souffle

June 30, 2023

This garlic and three-cheese souffle loves the company of a simple, green, leafy salad.William Meppem

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4

We used to make savoury souffles all the time when I was a cook at Chez Panisse in California, especially during the winter when the vegetables ran a little thin. I always think of the souffle as the most elegant of dishes, even though – like jellies and casseroles – it has fallen out of fashion. I’m all for bringing it back.

Essentially, all you have to do is make a bechamel sauce, add egg yolks and cheese to it and then fold in egg whites and bake. There are a few more details in this recipe, but it’s pretty simple. What you end up with is an ethereally light, cheesy cloud – which loves the company of a simple, green, leafy salad – that leaves you incredulous at just how delicious a few humble ingredients can be.

Ingredients

40g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
1 tbsp fine breadcrumbs (optional)
4 large eggs, plus 1 extra egg white
25g plain flour
1 cup (240ml) milk
1 garlic clove, peeled and cracked but left intact
salt and black pepper
1 tsp Dijon mustard
25g gruyere, grated
140g aged cheddar, grated
2 tbsp parmigiano reggiano, grated

Method

Step 1
Preheat your oven to 170C fan-forced (190C conventional). Generously grease the bottom and sides of a baking dish (18cm across and 8cm deep) with soft, unsalted butter. (In a pinch, you can use an oven-safe saucepan with similar dimensions.) Sprinkle the breadcrumbs (if using) into the dish and roll them around so that they stick to the butter. Shake out any excess and set aside the dish.
Step 2
Separate your eggs, placing the 5 whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and the 4 yolks into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Step 3
Put the 40g unsalted butter into a small saucepan, place over medium heat and allow to melt. Stir in the flour and cook for about 30 seconds before switching to a whisk and slowly adding in the milk. Add the garlic clove and whisk continuously until the mixture comes to a simmer. Allow it to bubble for a full minute before turning off the heat. Remove and discard the garlic clove.
Step 4
Slowly pour the hot bechamel into the bowl with the egg yolks while whisking. Add a pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper before stirring in the mustard. Next, add in the grated gruyere and cheddar, whisk to combine and set aside.
Step 5
Add a small pinch of salt to the egg whites and whip them on high until they hold medium-stiff peaks but are still creamy. Add a third of the whites to the egg and cheese mixture and use a spatula to gently fold in, always scooping down the centre of the bowl and then up and over to create lots of air. Repeat with the remaining egg whites until all assimilated.
Step 6
Immediately pour into your prepared baking dish, filling it just three-quarters of the way up. Sprinkle the parmigiano on top and place in the lower one-third of the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes until puffed and deeply golden, but still soft and jiggly in the middle.
Step 7
You’ll want to serve this as soon as it’s ready, so, while it bakes, prepare any accompaniments, such as a simple, leafy salad. To serve, simply scoop spoonfuls of the souffle out of the dish and onto plates.