Cheese Soufflé

Cooking time: 1 hour

Serves: 4

Ingredients

- 85g Strong Cheese of your choice Grated (reserve 4 solid cubes/balls of cheese for the centres)

- 30g Butter

- 125ml Milk

- 30g Flour

- Salt to taste

- 1 pinch Cayenne pepper

- 1 x Egg yolk

- 4 x Egg whites

- 1 x Lemon

To line the moulds

- 12g Breadcrumbs

- 10g Butter

- 4g Hazelnuts

Method

- Preheat your oven to 190c then lightly butter the ramekins twice around the inside and then line with the hazelnuts and breadcrumbs. Set aside in the fridge for later.

- In a medium saucepan, on a low heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour to make a roux. Cook out for a few minutes then whisk the milk into this, making sure that you have no lumps. Bring to the boil, whisking constantly.

- Remove from the heat, add the cheese and whisk until smooth. Add the egg yolk, season well with salt and cayenne pepper, then whisk once more. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

- Using an electric whisk or mixer, whisk your egg whites to soft peaks with a squeeze of lemon (be sure not to take them any further as they will become grainy and spoil your souffle).

- With a spatula, mix a third of the beaten egg whites, into the cheesy bechamel. Gently fold in the remaining two thirds then taste and correct seasoning if needed.

- Fill the lined ramekins with the souffle mixture ½ way up, then place a cube of cheese in the centre. Cover with the rest of the soufflé mixture to the top and smooth the surface with a spatula.

- Place the ramekins in a deep roasting tray and very carefully pour in boiling water to reach 2/3rds of the way up the sides of the ramekins. bake for 10-15 minutes until fully risen and golden brown.

- Lift the soufflés out of the bain marie, and allow to cool for about 10 minutes (this makes them easier to turn out).

- Turn out the soufflés onto a tray lined with a good sprinkling of breadcrumbs.

- Once cool place in the fridge, and if you wish to freeze them, wrap in cling film and freeze for up to 2 months (shelf life in the fridge is about 1 week).

- When you are ready to reheat, make sure the soufflés are at room temperature then reheat at 180ºc for 8 mins in the oven, again on a tray with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs to stop them from sticking. Serve with a nice dressed salad and enjoy.