Soufflés are actually pretty easy to make, their high maintenance reputation comes from the fact that they do deflate pretty quickly as they cool. There’s nothing you can do about this, so just get everyone around the table as you’re about to get them out of the oven. The cheesy garlicky goodness of these soufflés are lovely served with a green salad and mustardy vinaigrette, great for lunch or as a hefty starter. If you don’t have a ready source of wild garlic then you could use chives or another green herb instead.
Serves 6
60g butter (plus extra for greasing)
60g plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
360ml milk
4 eggs, separated
200g comté or other strong hard cheese, grated
1tsp Dijon mustard
A handful of wild garlic
Nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 200c/392f.
Grease six ramekins generously with butter, then sprinkle a good tablespoon of flour into one, roll it around to cover all the buttered sides and tip the excess into the next ramekin. Repeat until all your ramekins are coated with flour. I sometimes do one extra ramekin for luck – because depending on the size of your eggs and how much air you keep in the whites you might end up with an extra soufflé. Put your ramekins on a sturdy oven tray and set aside.
Melt the butter in a medium pan and stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook over a medium heat until it smells sweet and toasty, then gradually pour in the milk a little at a time, whisking well between each slosh of milk to make a smooth white sauce. Off the heat, whisk in the egg yolks and add the grated cheese and mustard, stirring until the cheese melts.
Roll your wild garlic leaves into a thick cigar, then slice into ribbons with a sharp knife, then chop finely. Scatter the wild garlic into the cheesy sauce and season with a good grating of nutmeg and salt and pepper.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff, they should be stiff enough to stay in the bowl if you tip it up over your head. Using a spatula or a large metal spoon carefully fold the whites into the garlicky, cheesy sauce bit-by-bit.
Divide between the ramekins, filling them almost to the top. Carefully clean the top rim of each dish to remove any spilt mixture and then slide the tray of ramekins into the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes until risen and golden brown on top. Serve immediately with a salad and a mustardy vinaigrette.
