CookTeaser

Serves 2 amply

A CookTale

Cathie’s secret weapon is her amazing ability to replicate Julia Child’s Cheese Souffle, from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1. When we both are “fooded” out, I’d ask, “Hey Cath how about a Souffle?”.
This recipe looks complicated, but according to Cathie it’s quite easy. And take it from one who has enjoyed it for decades, it is outstandingly delicious. A simple salad is all that’s needed to round out Sunday’s supper.

METHOD Step by Step

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
6 cup Soufflé dish
1 TB Butter
2 TB mixture of Swiss & Parmesan Cheese

Butter inside of the Souffle mold and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. Save a little of the Cheese to sprinkle on top of the Souffle as it goes into the oven.

3 TB Butter
3 TB Wondra Flour (regular flour is too heavy)
1 cup of boiling Heavy Cream (or you can use Milk)
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Pepper
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
Pinch of Nutmeg

Melt Butter in 2-1/2 qt. saucepan. Stir in Flour with a wooden spoon and cook over heat until Butter and Flour foam together for no more than 2 minutes without browning. Remove from heat; pour in boiling Cream. Add seasonings. Beat vigorously with wire whip until blended. Return over moderate heat and boil, stirring with whisk, for 1 minute. Sauce will be very thick.

5 Eggs, separated

Immediately start to separate the Eggs. Drop a White into a separate bowl and the Yolk into the center of the hot sauce. Beat the Yolk into the sauce and continue in the same manner with the rest of the Eggs. Correct seasoning. (May be prepared ahead to this point. Dot top of sauce with Butter.)

The Egg Whites
Pinch of Salt
3/4 C. coarsely grated mix of Swiss & Parmesan or whatever you have on hand

Add pinch of Salt to the Whites and beat until stiff. Stir a big spoonful (about one quarter of the Whites) into the sauce. Stir in the Cheese. Delicately fold in the rest of the Egg Whites. It will not look well mixed, but yellow with crests of white foam.

Turn the mixture into the prepared mold, which should be about 3/4 full. Sprinkle reserved Cheese on top. Set mold on rack in the middle of the oven and immediately turn heat down to 375. (Do not open the door for 20 minutes.) In 30 or 35 minutes the soufflé will have puffed up and the top will be nicely browned. Serve at once.