Serves 4
What cheeses work well in a soufflé?
Tall and majestic, with a crusty exterior and a super creamy interior, this is the quintessential French cheese soufflé. You make it the classic way with a thick béchamel, whisked in egg yolks, stiffly beaten whites folded in along with shredded cheese. You have several options for the cheese depending on the flavor you want. Swiss Gruyère, French Comté, or P’tit Basque, are all excellent choices. Folding the cheese into the soufflé along with the beaten whites, instead of stirring it into the hot béchamel base, assures a light and creamy texture. Baking the soufflé at a hot temperature results in a crust on the bottom, sides, and top.
What is a soufflé?
What I learned from Julia Child were the basics of making soufflés. A soufflé has two parts: a base, which carries all the flavor and must be seasoned strongly, and the whipped egg whites, which must be beaten correctly and incorporated int0 the base gently to maintain as much a air as possible. Why? Because it’s the whites that are the active part of a soufflé, causing it to rise. And, in French, souffle means “puffed up”.
Serving suggestions for a cheese soufflé.
I like to bake this soufflé in a tall mold because it puffs a good 2 inches above the rim and has a lovely brown crusty top. A 1 1/2-quart charlotte mold, 4 inches tall, works very well. All you need with this is a salad, some good crusty bread, and a bottled of chilled white wine.