Parmesan Soufflé

serves 2-4
Recipe from cookthink

Here's a basic soufflé that celebrates the simplicity of eggs and cheese. It's important to cook the roux for a few minutes to remove its floury taste and give it a nutty flavor. Eat the soufflé soon after it comes out of the oven, and it will be at its fluffiest.

instructions

1. Start by making a béchamel sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, sprinkle over a tablespoon of flour to make a roux. Stir constantly until the roux starts to take on a little color, about 3 minutes.

2. Drizzle the milk into the roux a little at a time, whisking as you go. Keep adding and whisking until the sauce is thick but still pretty easy to stir -- between 1 and 1 1/2 cups of milk total. Stir in the parmesan, then season the sauce with lots of freshly ground white pepper and a little salt (not too much though since the parmesan is already so salty). Pour the sauce into a bowl to cool slightly.

3. Meanwhile, separate five eggs, and added the whites to a mixer. Whisk the whites until they form stiff peaks. Whisk all five of the yolks into the béchamel.

4. Fold 1/4 of the whites into the sauce to lighten it. Then carefully fold in the remaining whites to keep as much air in them as possible.

5. Butter a medium soufflé dish, grate in some fresh parmesan, and rub the inside of the dish with your fingers to coat its bottom and sides. Pour the soufflé mixture into the dish.

6. Bake until the soufflé rises and browns slightly, and the center seemed pretty well set -- not too jiggly, but not too firm, 20-30 minutes.