My 1st Cheese Souffle

Today I made my first Cheese Souffle. It was a recipe adapted from Julia Child’s by Sur la table. At the Cooking School** the students make small individual souffles.

Cheese Souffle

Here’s my baked souffle. It would have risen higher if I used a smaller baking dish.

Souffle step 1

It’s important to get all your ingredients ready before you start any of the cooking. Here is the melted butter before I added the flour, hot milk, seasonings and the prepared baking dish.

Souffle step 2

Separated eggs and cheese at the ready.

Souffle step 3

The finished béchamel slightly tinted by the paprika…

Souffle step 4

The whipped egg whites… should have kept whisking a bit longer for stiffer peaks.

Souffle step 5

The egg whites and cheese mixed into the béchamel

Souffle step 6

The mixture poured into the prepared baking dish ready for the oven. Unfortunately, too big of a dish.

My 1st Cheese Souffle
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Julia Child's cheese souffle recipe adapted by Sur la table.
Author:
Recipe type: savory
Cuisine: French
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 tbs finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2½ tbs butter
  • 3 tbs flour
  • 1 cup hot milk
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp salt
  • pinch of white pepper
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 5 egg whites
  • 1 cup coarsely grated Swiss cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat over to 400 degrees F
  2. Set rack on the lower ⅓ level
  3. Measure out all ingredients
  4. Butter a 7½ inch diameter x 3 inch deep baking dish
  5. Roll the grated cheese in the buttered baking dish
  6. Melt butter in 2½ quart saucepan
  7. Stir in flour until smooth about 2 minutes
  8. Let cool for a moment
  9. Pour in hot milk
  10. Whisk vigorously to blend
  11. Return pan to heat
  12. Stir with wooden spoon
  13. Boil slowly for 3 minutes until sauce is very thick
  14. Whisk in seasonings
  15. Remove from heat
  16. Whisk in 4 egg yolks one at a time
  17. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks
  18. Scoop a quarter of the egg whites into the sauce
  19. Stir them in with a wooden spoon
  20. Add some of the remaining egg whites
  21. Rapidly but delicately fold egg whites in with a spatula alternating egg whites with some of the grated cheese until all are incorporated
  22. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees F
  23. Put mixture into prepared baking dish
  24. Bake until the souffle has puffed 2 to 3 inches and the top has browned
  25. Bring to table as soon as it is done

You can see in this how-to video, Jacques Pepin and Julia Child making a souffle.  There are some commercials in the middle but keep watching. It’s much easier with 2 people/4 hands. Pepin is such a Master. I now know I used too big of a baking dish and didn’t have stiff enough egg white peaks. Next time I will also use a “collar”. I need some copper pans. All in all, not bad for a Greek Gal’s first try at a French Cheese Souffle.

** ICYMI I work at Sur la table Cooking School.

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Kitoula

I'm Greek. This is my journal. It's all about food and family.

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