Cheese soufflé is a concoction of béchamel sauce, cheese, and fluffy egg whites – and they’re not nearly as hard to make as you’d expect.
Mornay Sauce
- 2 1/8 ounces unsalted butter (60 g)
- 2 1/8 ounces type 45 flour (60 g)
- 2 cups milk (500 ml)
- 4 egg yolks
- 8 3/4 ounces finely shredded Beaufort d'Alpages cheese (250 g)
- Fine salt
- Cayenne pepper
- Nutmeg
- 1/3 ounce unsalted butter (10 g)
Egg Whites
- 12 egg whites
- 2 egg yolks
Finishing and serving
Instructions
Step 1: Mornay Sauce
Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Whisk together to make a roux. Reduce the heat and cook for 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate saucepan. When it comes to a boil, add a touch of milk to the roux and whisk to combine. Gradually add the rest of the milk, whisking in each addition. Once you have added all of the milk, place the sauce over the heat and cook for 3-4 minutes, until very thick. Whisk constantly so that the béchamel does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
When the béchamel is thick, cut the heat and add all of the egg yolks at once, followed by the shredded cheese. Whisk until the cheese is completely melted, then season with Cayenne pepper, fine salt, and nutmeg. Transfer the mixture to a large stainless steel bowl. Coat the top of the mixture with butter to keep it from drying out. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at a temperature of about 145ºF (63ºC).
