Cheese Soufflé

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F

2. Using a pastry brush or your fingers, evenly butter 6 (6 ounce) ramekins across the bottom and entirely up the sides. Dust it with a finely grated Parmesan and tap out any excess.

3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour to make a paste. Gradually whisk in the cream and bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking, until thick, 3 minutes. Transfer the base to a large bowl; let cool.

4. Stir in the egg yolks, sherry, Gruyère, sour cream, salt, Dijon mustard, optional cayenne, and the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan.

5. Prepare the egg whites: To a stainless-steel bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; then add egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat on medium speed for until the egg whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Do not over beat them, as they can quickly become clumpy and break.

6. Using a large silicone spatula, begin folding the egg whites into the soufflé base in three additions. Use a figure-eight or serpentine motion as you flip and fold the whites, turning the bowl 45 degrees after each fold. Do not mix aggressively, as this will remove a lot of the air needed to make the soufflé rise. If you see little air pockets throughout the mixture, this is a good thing. The goal is to eliminate streaks and make sure there are no clumps of egg whites.

7. Using a small ladle or large spoon, evenly divide the batter between eight (6-ounce) ramekins. Fill the ramekins almost full to the top. Do not press down the batter, and it is normal for there to be a mound of batter in the middle of the ramekin.

8. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake until soufflés are puffed and golden. About 18-20 minutes. Check them after 18 minutes and if they look firm, test the doneness by quickly opening the oven door and very gently jiggling the baking sheet. There should a minimal jiggle to the soufflé. If it doesn’t move and looks golden or slightly cracked, they are finished. If not, close the door and bake for another 2 minutes.

9. If using one large soufflé dish, it will take about 35 minutes. Check it at 30 minutes.

10. Serve immediately, hot from the oven.

From Shawnie's class “Soufflé Workshop”