Cheese Souffle

                 

A Souffle is a puffed up pastry using egg yolks and beaten egg whites as a rising agent. Savoury or sweet this is one dish that has always held my rapt attention. There is something so elegant about this classic dish that deeply attracts you towards it, propelling you to try it atleast once in your lifetime, without which you think your culinary journey just cannot be complete.                 

  This recipe I have tried here is adapted from Vicky Ratnani's cookery show "Gourmet Central"  which I absolutely love watching. I adore his style of cooking combined with his entertaining wit and spontaneity. His recipes on the show are something which I try a lot and which, I can vouch for, come out great without a doubt. The ingredients he uses are not very exotic and easily available in any of the supermarkets here.

 His Cheese Souffle is one of my favorites. Having wanting to try it for so long, but just could not as firstly I have always found it too daunting and secondly its just because I never had the correct kind of dishes - if a souffle has to be made - it had to be in a souffle dish.

 I was quite happy with the end result especially since it was the first time for me. It turned out light and cheesy and rose to perfection much to my delight.  OH! To see that Souffle rise in front of my eyes was just about the penultimate thing for me!! The "Ultimate" was of course having it !!

Keep a watch out as now that my journey has begun there is definitely more coming your way. (Next on my wish list...a chocolate souffle !!)

Ingredients

50 gms butter

3 Tbsp flour

200 ml milk

4 egg yolks

5 egg whites

1 tbsp Delmonte mustard sauce

120 gms processed cheese

pinch of ground nutmeg

salt and pepper for taste

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Measure and prepare all your ingredients.

Bring eggs to room temperature before using them - cold egg whites incorporate less air than those at room temperature.

Generously brush the insides of a souffle dish with melted butter.

Melt butter in a pan over moderate heat. Stir in the flour and mix well. 

Cook for a minute stirring constantly till the mixture is smooth, make sure that the flour does not brown.

Stir in the milk slowly and continue stirring till the mixture boils and thickens and forms a smooth paste. Add cheese and stir until melted. Mix in the mustard sauce, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Add egg yolks and stir until the mixture is blended and smooth.

In a bowl, with a mixer on high speed, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until short, stiff peaks form. 

With a flexible spatula,very gently fold a third of the cheese sauce into whites until well blended. Add remaining sauce and gently fold in just until blended.

                   

Spoon the batter till about half way up in prepared souffle dishes.Add a little water to the baking tray on which the dishes are kept to create a little steam in the oven.
            
Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for  25-30 minutes until souffle is puffed and golden brown on top and center moves only slightly when dish is shaken gently.
Serve immediately.

This recipe is participating in The Delmonte Blogger recipe carnival.
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