Francoise's Cheese Souffle--Souffle Au Fromage De Francoise

Name: Francoise's Cheese Souffle--Souffle Au Fromage De Francoise
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 6 serving(s)
Ingredients: 5 tablespoons butter, plus more for the souffle dish; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 cups milk; salt; pepper; grated nutmeg; 5 eggs, separated; 1 1/2 cups grated gruyere cheese; 3 egg whites

Submitted by ratherbeswimmin

"In 'The Country Cooking of France' by Anne Willan"

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Ready In:: 1hr 25mins
Ingredients:: 9
Serves:: 6

ingredients

5 tablespoons butter, plus more for the souffle dish
¹⁄₄ cup all-purpose flour
1 ¹⁄₂ cups milk
salt
pepper
grated nutmeg
5 eggs, separated
1 ¹⁄₂ cups grated gruyere cheese
3 egg whites

directions

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat; whisk in the flour, and cook until foaming.
Add the milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens.
Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and simmer for 1 minute.
Take the pan from the heat and whisk the egg yolks into the hot sauce so that they cook and thicken slightly.
Stir in the cheese, reserving a tablespoon for topping.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
The mixture should be highly seasoned to compensate for the bland egg whites.
Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming.
Position a shelf in the lower third of the oven and remove the shelves above.
Preheat oven to 425°.
Thickly butter a 2-quart souffle dish, particularly around the rim.
Reheat the cheese mixture until hot to the touch but do not let it boil, or it will cook into strings.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff using a stand mixer and adding a pinch of salt to help the whites stiffen.
Add about 1/4 of the egg whites to the hot cheese mixture and stir them together thoroughly.
Add this mixture to the remaining egg whites and fold them together as lightly as possible.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish; it should fill almost to the rim.
Sprinkle the reserved cheese on top, and then run your thumb around the inside rim of the dish so the souffle rises evenly.
Bake until puffed and brown, 20-25 minutes; if you like the center soft, remove the souffle when it still wobbles slightly if gently shaken; if you prefer it firm, leave it for another 3-5 minutes.
Set the dish on a plate lined with a napkin, so the dish cannot slip.
Take the souffle to the table at once.