Twice baked cheese soufflé with a parmesan cream sauce

Recipe

Direct from the chef at Blaxland’s Restaurant in the Hunter Valley NSW.

I loved this souffle so much I had to ask for the recipe - the chef herself kindly popped out with a handwritten recipe note.

It took me a while to cook this, having been daunted by soufflé recipes. To my surprise it is in fact very easy! And now I cook it all the time for dinner parties, for even up to 14 people. (Double the recipe)

It has a few steps to follow, but the best part of a twice baked soufflé is you can make most of it in advance while you are calm in the kitchen, then give it one final bake and puff to serve. Plus, you have the wow factor of a soufflé, per person, served at the table.

You can either have the ramekins in the fridge filled with the batter ready for baking (they will keep for a few days) or you can pre-bake them for 20 minutes, then put them in the fridge and tip out for the final 10 minute bake for the occasion. I tried both methods and felt they worked just as well.

I love Taleggio as the star cheese in the dish too – I go out of my way to find it when I have decided to make this as it really makes the souffle so different and special.

Serves 6. V.

Pictured: Twice baked cheese soufflé with a parmesan cream sauce

60g butter

60g P flour

350ml milk, heated

100g grated Taleggio, substitute gruyere

A little salt and good grind of pepper

4 eggs plus 1 yolk

Sauce -

100ml double cream

100g parmesan

To serve -

1 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 180 °C

Make a roux by melting the butter in a pan until foaming, then add the flour and stir for 2 minutes to cook it out a little (this is a roux). Add the hot milk, stirring with a whisk to help keep the lumps out, add the cheese and salt and pepper, cook and stir for 4 minutes – you will notice the mixture does change after a few minutes as the cheese incorporates into the roux and really comes together and becomes very smooth.

Cool sauce 10 minutes, beat 5 yolks into batter one at a time, beat 4 whites until stiff peaks in a separate bowl and fold through mixture - start with a scoop of egg whites into the batter to loosen, then add the rest and fold through gently to keep as much air in the mix as possible.

Boil the kettle.

Pictured: Twice baked cheese soufflé ready for the first bake

Butter 6 x ¾ cup ramekins (may have enough for one more) and fill each with the mix to the top and place in a baking dish – place the baking dish in the oven then pour boiling water until it comes half way up the ramekins.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Pictured: Twice baked cheese soufflé in the oven for the first bake

Cool for 5 minutes. Tip out onto serving dishes that are oven proof.

When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 180 °C again, make the sauce by warming the cream and cheese in a pan, pour equal amounts over each soufflé, bake for 10 minutes and dust with paprika.

Serve either on its own for a beautiful starter, or with a salad of peppery leaves and cucumber as a main meal.