To those of you who have never made a soufflé before: forget everything you have ever heard - they are really not that hard to make. I have only ever had one fail once and that was my fault because I kept on opening the oven door to check on it. Once you have passed the stage of whipping the crap out of the egg whites, soufflés actually thrive on a little benign neglect, so to speak. What they really doesn't like is temperature fluctuations when they are trying to do its thing.
Most recipes tell you to butter (or butter and flour) the mold (or ramekins) that you are using but I have found from personal experience that my soufflés climb higher without that particular step. Last but not least, cheese soufflé recipes that use Camembert often mention that the cook should leave the rind on the cheese but I prefer to remove as much as possible. I am not a fan of the soufflé with bits in it, no matter how much character other recipe writers think it imparts to the dish.
This recipe makes 4 small appetizer ramekin sized soufflés or dinner for 2 in one mold.
1 Camembert, rind roughly removed, chopped into small cubes
2 eggs + 1 egg white
1 cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste (I didn't add any)
Put the butter, the flour and the bay leaf in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the butter has melted, the resulting paste has no lumps in it and has turned a rich golden brown with a nutty smell.
Pour in the milk and cook, stirring constantly as well, until the sauce has thickened. Lower the heat and add the Camembert, little by little, stirring constantly until you have a thick, smooth sauce with no lumps in it. Add the Parmesan, stir really well to help it melt. For those of you who are learning to cook, you have just made a Mornay sauce. Congratulations. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool.
Preheat the oven to 425.
Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks, retaining the extra yolk for another use. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks have formed.
Pour the 2 egg yolks into the cooling Mornay sauce and stir maniacally to incorporate them into the mixture without them turning into scrambled eggs. At this time, pick out the bay leaf.
Place 1/4 of the egg whites in the bowl with the Mornay sauce and fold in gently. Once that is done, add the rest of the egg whites to the bowl and fold in as well. You want to be very delicate and deflate as little of the egg white as possible.
Spoon the mixture into mold or ramekins and place in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes (ramekins) or 15 minutes (mold). Do not open the door to check until your timer goes off, though you are welcome to turn on your oven light and gaze anxiously through the little glass oven panel.
At 10 minutes (or 15 if using a single mold) open the oven door and check for doneness. The top will be puffy and set and no liquid will remain. Depending on your oven you may need a minute or 2 more but I would not recommend going beyond that even if you doubt yourself.
Serve at once so that everyone can see the splendid golden billowy rise.
(Note: If the dish does not rise, serve at once anyway and call it a cheese custard frittata. It sounds appropriately grand and will taste equally delicious).
Inspiration recipe, here.