Cheese Drawer Soufflé
When your cheese drawer gets too crowded with a little bit of this and a little bit of that, it’s time to make cheese soufflé! While this may sound scary, you can do it! Grate up whatever small pieces you have for a soufflé that’s slightly different each time you make it. Your house will smell incredible, and your diners will think they’ve stepped into a dream. A fluffy, toasty, cheesy dream.
Ingredients
8 inch soufflé dish
1 tablespoon butter, room temp for the dish
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/3 cups milk
4 egg yolks
6 -8 ounces variety cheese bits, grated
2 tablespoons sherry
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
5 egg whites
¼ teaspoon lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmigiano and pepper. Butter the soufflé dish bottom and sides. Dust the buttered dish with the Parmigiano-pepper mix. Chill in the refrigerator while you complete the remaining steps.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for about 1 minute to make a paste. Add in half of the milk and whisk until it begins to thicken, about 1 minute. Add in the remaining milk and continue to whisk until very thick, about 1 minute. Remove from heat to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cheese, sherry, Dijon and salt. Begin to temper this mixture by stirring in the thickened milk a little at a time, stirring after every addition until incorporated. This process allows the two mixtures to come together, without the eggs curdling.
In another medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and lemon juice until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the cheese mix in three additions, being sure that it is fully incorporated.
Remove soufflé dish from refrigerator, pour mixture into prepared dish. Bake 35-45 minutes, until soufflé is browned and puffed. Soufflé will fall slightly. Serve immediately.