Francoises Cheese Souffle Souffle Au Fromage De Francoise Recipes

CHEESE SOUFFLE (SOUFFLE DE FROMAGE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to moderate 180°C (Gas Mark 4, 350°F). Using a little of the butter, grease a medium souffle dish. Sprinkle about 4 tablespoons of the grated cheese around the inside and press on to the bottom and sides.
• Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour to form a smooth paste. Gradually stir in the scalded milk and return to the heat. Bring to the boil and cook the sauce, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it is thick and smooth.
• Remove from the heat again and beat in the seasoning and paprika, then the egg yolks a little at a time. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Beat the egg whites until they are foamy. Add salt to taste and the cream of tartar and continue to beat until they form stiff peaks.
• Stir the remaining cheese into the egg yolk mixture and when it is thoroughly blended, quickly fold in the egg whites. Transfer the mixture to the prepared souffle dish. Carefully mark a deep circle in the centre of the souffle and place the dish in the oven. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until it is lightly browned on top and the souffle is well risen.
• Remove from the oven and serve at once.

CHEESE SOUFFLé (SOUFFLé AU FROMAGE)

Steps:

• Use a 6-8 cup souffle dish or 4 individual 10 ounce souffle dishes.
• Pull a sheet of aluminum foil slightly more then 3 times longer then the diameter of the dish and fold it lengthwise over itself with the shiny side showing. The foil strip should be wide enough to cover the outside of the dish and rise at least 3 inches above the rim.
• Rub the strip of foil and the inside of the dish with softened butter. Wrap the foil around the dish and attach it by pinching together at the top so it stays in place (you can also use a paper clip).
• Evenly sprinkle the Parmigiano-Reggiano all around the dish and the foil until they are covered with a layer of cheese. Do NOT touch the inside after this point. Put dish in refrigerator.
• Make the Mornay Sauce: Melt butter in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir in the flour with a whisk until smooth. Gradually pour in milk while whisking and bring to a simmer over high heat, while continuing to whisk. Boil for a couple of minutes until sauce thickens a bit and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat, stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano, and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whisk in egg yolks one at a time. Reserve up to 2 days, covered.
• Preheat oven to 350°F if you are using a 6 or 8 cup souffle dish or to 375°F if you are using individual souffle dishes.
• Beating and Folding: Put egg whites into a very clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk. Turn on low to break up the whites. Add a pinch of salt and a small pinch of cream of tartar. Gradually increase speed to high. Keep a sharp eye on the whites, it only takes about 4 minutes to get to stiff peaks - that's when they stick straight out when you hold the whisk or beater sideways, instead of softly flopping over. Take the bowl off the standing mixer and finish the soufflé by hand (or 6-8 minutes by hand).
• Take out one-fourth of the beaten whites and stir into 1 cups of the cooled (but not cold) Mornay Sauce - this lightens up the Mornay and makes it easier to fold in the whites.
• Pour the Mornay Sauce down the side of the bowl containing the remaining whites and sprinkle the 3/4 cup finely grated cheese over the top. Fold everything together using a rubber spatula, pressing the spatula down to the bottom of the bowl where most of the heavier sauce base will have settled and lift up the base, gently folding it over the whites. Continue cutting into the whites, but not pushing against them, to combine the mixture. Don't overdo it; a few uncombined pieces of white are less of a problem than overworking the mixture.
• Gently pour the mixture into the soufflé dishes - the mixture should come up somewhere between 3/4ths of the way up and the top. Slide the sheet pan of soufflés into the oven. Turn up the oven to 375°F or to 385°F if making individual souffles.
• Bake a large souffle for 40 to 50 minutes or individual souffles for 15 to 20 minutes. Soufflés are done when risen about half its original height and when sheet pan jiggled back and forth the tops won't rock - if the insides are underdone, the tops will rock slightly.
• Side Note: "If you rush the soufflé to the table and cut into it and see that it's undercooked, don't panic. Be as nonchalant as possible and just put soufflés back in the oven and cook it a few more minutes. An underdone soufflé won't fall much once out of the oven, an overdone one will.".
• Take the sheet pan with the soufflés out of the oven and immediately pull away the collar, and bring the souffle to the table. If you are serving individual soufflés, put each souffle on a plate and sit it before a guest. If you are serving one big soufflé, serve it at the table on heated plates. Make sure everyone gets some savory crust. The creamy center should function as a sauce for the rest.

FRANCOISE'S CHEESE SOUFFLE--SOUFFLE AU FROMAGE DE FRANCOISE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat; whisk in the flour, and cook until foaming.
• Add the milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens.
• Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and simmer for 1 minute.
• Take the pan from the heat and whisk the egg yolks into the hot sauce so that they cook and thicken slightly.
• Stir in the cheese, reserving a tablespoon for topping.
• Taste and adjust seasoning.
• The mixture should be highly seasoned to compensate for the bland egg whites.
• Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming.
• Position a shelf in the lower third of the oven and remove the shelves above.
• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Thickly butter a 2-quart souffle dish, particularly around the rim.
• Reheat the cheese mixture until hot to the touch but do not let it boil, or it will cook into strings.
• Whisk the egg whites until stiff using a stand mixer and adding a pinch of salt to help the whites stiffen.
• Add about 1/4 of the egg whites to the hot cheese mixture and stir them together thoroughly.
• Add this mixture to the remaining egg whites and fold them together as lightly as possible.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish; it should fill almost to the rim.
• Sprinkle the reserved cheese on top, and then run your thumb around the inside rim of the dish so the souffle rises evenly.
• Bake until puffed and brown, 20-25 minutes; if you like the center soft, remove the souffle when it still wobbles slightly if gently shaken; if you prefer it firm, leave it for another 3-5 minutes.
• Set the dish on a plate lined with a napkin, so the dish cannot slip.
• Take the souffle to the table at once.