← Nouns Cooking · French

Ingredients

• 50 g butter, plus extra for the dish
• 2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese, for the dish
• 40 g Plain (all-purpose) flour
• 300 ml whole milk, warmed
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 pinch Nutmeg
• 1 pinch Cayenne pepper
• 120 g Gruyère, finely grated
• 5 large eggs, separated (you need 4 yolks and all 5 whites)
• Salt

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F) with a baking tray on a low shelf, removing the shelf above. Butter a 1.5 litre soufflé dish generously, brushing upward strokes up the sides, then coat with the Parmesan.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the warm milk and bubble for 2 min, whisking, into a thick, smooth sauce.
3. Take off the heat and beat in the mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, a little salt and the Gruyère, then the 4 yolks one at a time. Transfer to a large bowl.
4. In a spotless bowl, whisk the 5 egg whites with a pinch of salt to firm peaks that stand up but still look glossy.
5. Stir a big spoonful of whites into the cheese sauce to loosen it, then gently fold in the rest in two batches until no white streaks remain. Spoon into the dish and run your thumb around the rim to make a shallow groove.
6. Set the dish on the hot tray and bake for 25–30 min, without opening the oven for the first 20 min, until well risen, deep golden and just a little wobbly in the middle. Serve at once with a green salad.

Tips

• The sauce base can be made hours ahead; warm it slightly, then whisk and fold in the whites just before baking.
• Traditional Parmesan uses animal rennet; pick a vegetarian hard cheese if needed.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

RecipeTin Eats King Arthur Baking