Free Cooking Recipes

Serve this unusual souffle as a first course or as the main course for lunch or supper. It may be accompanied by allumette potatoes and a salad of cold, cooked French beans with a vinaigrette sauce, or a tossed green salad. A well-chilled, light, dry, white Italian or French wine would go well with this’soufflá.

4 SERVINGS
2 oz. [1/4 cup] plus 1 teaspoon butter
2 oz. [1/2 cup] flour, sifted
10 fl. oz. [11/4 cups] milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 grindings black pepper
teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons single [light] cream
2 oz. [1/2 cup] Gruyere cheese, grated
6 artichoke hearts, cooked fresh, or canned
4 egg yolks
5 egg whites

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (Gas Mark 6, 200 °C). Grease a 3-pint soufflé dish with 1 teaspoon butter. Tie a strip of greaseproof paper around the rim of the souffle dish so it projects 2 inches above the top.
2. Melt the remaining amount of butter in a large, heavy saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat and, with a wooden spoon, stir in the flour. Replace the saucepan on the heat and, stirring constantly, cook for 2 minutes. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix well. Add the milk, a little at a time, and, stirring continously, bring to the boil. Boil for 2 minutes, still stirring, until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream and the grated cheese.
3. Place the artichoke hearts in a bowl and, with a table fork, mash them well. Add to the cheese mixture. Add the egg yolks to the mixture and stir well.
4. Beat the egg whites in a medium-sized mixing bowl with a whisk until they form stiff peaks. Be careful not to over-beat the whites or they will begin to collapse.
5. Fold a large tablespoon of beaten egg white into the sauce. With a rubber spatula, scoop the rest of the egg whites on top of the mixture and fold in very gently. Pour the mixture into the souffle dish. It should fill two-thirds of the dish.
6. Place the dish on the middle shelf of the oven and reduce the heat to 375 °F (Gas Mark 5, 190 °C). Bake for 35 minutes. When the soufflé is ready, the top should be brown and it should have risen 2 or 3 inches above the top of the dish. To be sure the soufflé is cooked, plunge a thin knife into the centre. If the soufflé is ready the knife will come out clean.
   Serve immediately.