Cheese Souffle-serve immediately!
By Stacey Adams-Zier
As a chef, I know some cooking techniques are so fascinating yet can be frustrating for even the serious cook, especially when the last line of the recipe says “serve immediately”.
Making a soufflé is a dramatic presentation, tinged with suspense that requires careful preparation, concentration, and practice. But as my friend, Michael Ruhlman writes his “Elements of Cooking,” “Soufflés are less fragile and difficult than their reputation suggests.” A well executed one is well worth the effort, leaving your guest in awe of your impressive magical act. Trust me, photographing it before it collapsed was way harder.
Once you have the techniques down you can begin to have fun with the one ingredient that creates the rich flavor and moist, creamy texture – cheese. The cheese not only adds flavor, but also helps to hold the soufflé together. A traditional cheese soufflé is made with Gruyère (see the recipe below) but since I have access to so many cheeses I thought I’d experiment a little with a week-long soufflé making extravaganza.
Alpine cheeses like Gruyère, Comté, Appenzeller and Fontina all rose to the challenge and made incredibly creamy and nutty soufflés (remember these are the cheeses used in fondue.) Farmstead cheddars like Fiscalini and England’s Quickes added a fruity, sharp zing to the soufflés while Spanish cheeses, like Mahon and Iberico, added a wonderful depth of flavor and complexity. Goudas such as Prima Donna and Beemster made incredibly savory soufflés and the one goat cheese I tried, Valencay, made a delightfully light and tangy soufflé perfect for springtime.
My favorite soufflé was a surprise for even myself: A gorgeous, perfectly risen, crusty-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside Gorgonzola soufflé (see recipe below.) Gorgonzola is one of those “where have you been all my life” kind of cheeses that I can’t get enough of. This zenith of blues is neither too soft nor too salty and has just the right amount of creaminess to allow the soufflé to rise to perfection.
If you’ve never dared to make a cheese soufflé or have had fallen soufflé nightmares, I hope that I’ve made you feel a little more comfortable to give it a try. As the famous culinarian, James Beard, once said, “The only thing that will make a soufflé fall is if it knows you are afraid of it.”
Julia’s Cheese Soufflé
(Adapted from Julia Child)
Room-temperature butter, for greasing the mold and collar
2-3 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese, for coating the mold
4 Tbs butter
4 ½ Tbs all purpose flour
1 ½ cups hot milk
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground white pepper
¼ tsp paprika
A grating of fresh nutmeg
6 large egg yolks
7 large egg whites (at room temperature)
5 oz Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 ½ cups)
Arrange rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter the mold and sprinkle the sides and bottom with the grated Parmesan cheese. Melt the 4 tablespoons butter in the saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the flour to make a smooth paste. Cook for about 2 minutes without coloring. Pour in the hot milk all at once, whisking constantly to form a roux. Bring to a boil, cook for 2 minutes, until it becomes thick. Remove from the heat and whisk in the salt, pepper, paprika, and nutmeg.
One at a time, whisk the egg yolks into the hot sauce.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff and shining. Scoop ¼ of the whites into the sauce and whisk to lighten it. Sprinkle in a good handful of the grated Gruyere cheese. Then scrape the lightened sauce back into the whites and fold gently without deflating the egg whites. Gently fold in remaining cheese.
Pour the soufflé mixture in to the mold and smooth the top (it should be ¾ full.) Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 45 minutes, until the soufflé has puffed about 2 inches above the mold, it should still jiggle a bit in the center. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Gorgonzola Cheese Soufflé
3 Tbs unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
4 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/8 tsp cayenne powder
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 oz Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
5 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter the inside of an 8-cup soufflé dish (approximately 7 ½ inches by 3 ¼ inches) and sprinkle evenly with parmesan cheese.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and cayenne powder for about 2-3 minutes. Reserve.
In a small saucepan, scald the milk (bring to a near boil), turn off the heat and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. When the butter is completely melted, add the flour all at once into the hot butter, whisking constantly, for about 2-3 minutes. Lower the heat. Slowly add the milk while stirring constantly.
Add the gorgonzola cheese, parmesan cheese, black pepper and nutmeg. Whisk in the egg yolk mixture until the texture is smooth and creamy.
In a stainless steel mixing bowl, add the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar. Beat the egg whites for about 2 minutes to a medium speed. Increase to the maximum speed and keep beating for another 2-3 minutes until the whites form firm, glossy peaks. Do not overbeat or the texture will become too dry.
Pour 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the cheese mixture to lighten and then gently fold in the rest. Pour into the soufflé dish, and then smooth the top and place in the middle of the oven. Turn the temperature down to 375 degrees and bake for 30-35 minutes (don’t peek!) until puffed and brown, it should still jiggle a bit in the center. Serve im-me-dia-te-ly!
To serve, hold your serving fork and spoon down back-to-back and plunge them into the crust to pull it apart. Spoon out portions that include some of the crusty sides and top, and the soft, creamy center.
By Line: Stacey Adams-Zier is the Chef/Owner and Fromager of Tastings Gourmet Market and Artisanal Cheese Center located in Clock Tower Place, Annapolis, Md. She can be reached at 410.263.1324 or by visiting their website at www.TastingsGourmetMarket.com
