JB's Cheese Soufflé – Soufflé au Fromage

Preparation - Preheat the oven – Preheat to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan). The oven needs to be really hot before you start, that first burst of heat helps the soufflé rise tall. If the oven isn't hot enough, the soufflé won't lift properly.

Preparation - Prepare the ramekins – Brush the inside of 4 (325 ml / 1 1/3 cup) ramekins well with melted butter using a pastry brush, then place them on a baking tray. (There is a brushing upwards technique often used for soufflés but that's only useful when the soufflé mixture goes in cold. Ours is warm, so no need for that trick, yes, I've tested it! It works great for cold mixtures like chocolate soufflés. Coming soon? Maybe!!!)

Make Mornay sauce (cheese sauce) - Heat the milk – Pour the milk into a small saucepan and place it over medium heat. Warm it until you see steam rising, but don't let it boil. Set it aside.

Make Mornay sauce (cheese sauce) - Make the roux – While the milk warms, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk gently. It will look thick and pasty at first, like wet sand. Keep whisking for about 2 minutes until it becomes smooth and shiny. Make sure to scrape into the corners of the pan and don't let it brown. If it's cooking too fast, lower the heat.

Make Mornay sauce (cheese sauce) - Make Béchamel – Slowly add one-third of the hot milk to the roux while whisking quickly. It will thicken right away. Then add half of the remaining milk, whisk until smooth, and finally add the rest along with the salt and pepper. Keep whisking for about a minute until the sauce is thick, smooth, and lump-free.

Make Mornay sauce (cheese sauce) - Check the thickness – When you drag a spatula through the middle of the sauce, it should leave a clear path that holds its shape for a moment before slowly closing.

Make Mornay sauce (cheese sauce) - Add the yolks – Turn off the heat and whisk in the egg yolks one by one. They won't cook, they will just blend in to make the sauce richer.

Make Mornay sauce (cheese sauce) - Add cheese and turn it into a Mornay sauce – Turn the heat back on to medium and whisk in the grated Gruyère until melted and smooth. Scrape down the sides, cover with a lid, and set aside. Congratulations – you've just made a Mornay sauce!

Folding in the Egg Whites and Baking - Beat the egg whites – Put the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, start beating on medium speed for about 2 minutes until soft peaks form.

Folding in the Egg Whites and Baking - Finish the egg whites – Increase the speed to high and beat for another 30 seconds until firm peaks form (see photo above). Starting slowly helps the whites build a stable structure. If you rush, they'll turn foamy and collapse later, I've learned that the hard way!

Folding in the Egg Whites and Baking - Fold gently – Using a hand whisk, give the Mornay a quick whisk to make it smooth again. Add a quarter of the beaten egg whites and whisk it in to loosen the Mornay sauce. Then, using a rubber spatula, gently fold in one-third of the remaining whites. Use slow, sweeping motions from the bottom of the bowl, you want to keep as much air as possible. (See video at 2.15 minutes). Rough folding = flat soufflé.

Folding in the Egg Whites and Baking - Finish the mixture – Repeat folding two more times until all the egg whites are just combined. Don't worry about a few white streaks, they'll blend in later.

Folding in the Egg Whites and Baking - Fill the ramekins – Use a ladle or large spoon to fill the ramekins to about 1 cm / 0.4″ below the rim. Smooth the tops with the back of a spoon dipped in water. ⚠️ Don't overfill or they'll overflow. And if you don't fill enough, they won't rise above the rim impressively.

Folding in the Egg Whites and Baking - Clean the rims – Run your thumb around the inside rim of each ramekin to clean it, this gives the soufflé a clean edge to rise against.

Folding in the Egg Whites and Baking - Bake – Place the ramekins on a tray and bake for 20 minutes until tall and golden, but it jiggles if you give the ramekin a gentle shake. Do not open the oven door, the sudden drop in heat will make them sink. So no peeking! 🫣

Folding in the Egg Whites and Baking - Serve immediately – Once out of the oven, serve right away. Soufflés rise beautifully but fall fast, that's just how they are! So make sure everyone's ready at the table to enjoy the moment.