Ingredients
40g/1½oz butter
50g/2oz plain flour
250ml/8fl oz full-fat milk
4 eggs, separated, whites beaten until fluffy
chives - enough to produce about 1 tbsp chopped
3 tbsp full fat crème fraîche
75g/3oz mimolette cheese
sea salt
black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
2. Melt the butter slowly over a low heat. Remove pan from the heat and beat in the flour to form a smooth, shiny paste. With the pan back over the heat, add the milk and whisk to form a smooth sauce.
3. Once the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes.
4. Now add the egg yolks, chives and a little seasoning to the sauce and beat thoroughly. Be careful not to do this when the mixture is too hot or the eggs will start to cook. Now fold in the beaten egg whites slowly, taking care not to lose the air.
5. Pour the mixture into four well buttered ramekin dishes and cook in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Check at 20 minutes to ensure that the tops don't brown too much. Once they are done, leave for a couple of minutes in the ramekin dishes and then carefully take them out and leave on a baking tray. (At this point you could leave them in the fridge once completely cool for a day or so if cover in cling wrap, or you could freeze them too.
6. While the soufflés are cooking, grate the mimolette coarsely and mix with the crème fraîche. Add seasoning to this mixture, but do not over season if you ve added a fair amount to the soufflé mixture.
7. When you are ready to bake the soufflés for a second time, preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. Carefully make a small well in the top of each soufflé and spoon in a couple of teaspoons of the mimolette mixture. Pop into the oven for at least 10 minutes until the cheese has melted. They can be kept warm at 130C/250F/Gas ½ for up to 30 minutes, but no longer as they start to dry out and go rubbery.
8. Serve surrounded by lightly dressed coloured salad leaves - red chard and rocket look good, but don t over garnish.
