French Comfort Food - Hardcover

Cheese Soufflés in a Mug

Petits Soufflés au Fromage Serves 8

In a restaurant in Paris many years ago, I was served my first soufflé. It was a magnificently puffed vanilla one with a dusting of powdered sugar. Horrified, I watched the waiter attack its center with two large silver serving spoons, deflating it almost immediately. He then poured in a generous amount of Grand Marnier, smiled, and served me a portion. The center was creamy and sweet and so pungent with the orange liqueur that it brought tears to my eyes. I loved it. Ever since, I have made soufflés, both sweet and savory, and it’s a frequent dish at my table.

This savory cheese soufflé recipe is super easy to make and there’s enough for a group of 8―or for 4 people to have seconds.It makes a wonderful appetizer or light lunch with salad. Just turn over your cups or mugs and check that they are oven proof.

Special Equipment pastry brush; 8 (8-ounce / 225-ml) oven -proof mugs, cups, or ramekins; roasting pan or large baking pan ; medium saucepan ; stand mixer

4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick / 60 g) unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon melted butter

1⁄4 cup (40 g) seasoned breadcrumbs

8 large eggs, room temperature

4 tablespoons (30 g) allpurpose flour

1 1⁄2 cups (350 ml) milk

1 teaspoon salt

dash cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

6 ounces (170 g) Comté cheese, grated (about 1 1⁄2 cups)

1⁄2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Prep

With the pastry brush, spread the melted butter inside of the mugs, starting at the bottom and brushing with upward strokes towards the lip. Coat the insides of the cups with breadcrumbs all the way up to the lip, tap out excess, and place mugs in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 400° F ( 200° C) and place roasting pan filled with an inch of boiling water on the middle rack of the oven.

Separate the eggs into whites and yolks, discarding 1 of the egg yolks so that you have 7 egg yolks and 8 egg whites. Make sure there is no yolk in the egg whites.

Cook

Melt 4 tablespoons (60 g) butter in saucepan to make a béchamel sauce. Whisk in the flour and continue whisking on low heat for 1 minute. Slowly pour in half the milk while you whisk then add the rest of the milk and whisk until the sauce thickens and starts bubbling. Add the salt, cayenne, mustard, and cheese and stir to mix. Remove the sauce from the heat and cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, whisk 7 egg yolks until pale yellow. Whisk them into the béchamel sauce.

In a very clean dry bowl of the stand mixer, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until they hold their shape. Don’t over beat; you want more billowy mounds than stiff peaks. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold third of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture then fold in the rest without deflating them. Spoon the mixture into the mugs up to the rim. Run your thumb around the inside of the rim of each mug to help the soufflés rise in the center.

Place the mugs in the roasting pan in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes. Do not open the oven door while they are baking, but do turn on the oven light and peak through the glass to see how they are doing after 11 minutes.

Remove from the oven when they are fully puffed up and golden. Serve immediately because the soufflés will begin to deflate after a few minutes. Ideas and substitutions If you have elegant coffee or teacups that are oven proof (fine porcelain is not meant for the oven), they are great for making these little soufflés for formal occasions.

Comté is a mild French cheese with a subtle flavor. If you would like a more pronounced cheese flavor, use a sharp cheddar or any of your favorite cheeses. And if you don’t want to use breadcrumbs to coat the cups, use flour or grated Parmesan cheese instead to give the soufflés something to “climb” as they rise.

The restaurant where I had my first soufflé still exists if you are visiting Paris. Le Soufflé can be found at 36 Rue Mont Thabor.