Cheese Soufflé

Tags: #appetizer #vegetarian #baking
Servings: 4
Total time: 40 minutes

An airy, savory soufflé that uses egg whites only, with a rich, cheesy béchamel base.

Ingredients

• 10g unsalted butter (plus more for greasing)
• 20g finely grated Parmesan (for coating the dish)
• 25g all-purpose flour
• 300ml whole milk
• 10g Dijon mustard
• 120g Gruyère, finely grated (or Comté, aged cheddar)
• 1g cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2g fine salt, plus a pinch for the whites
• 1g cream of tartar (optional, for stability)
• 180g egg whites (about 6 large), room temperature

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (no fan) and place a baking sheet on the middle rack.
2. Grease a 1.5L soufflé dish (or 4 ramekins) with butter, then coat with Parmesan; tap out excess.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
4. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
5. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until very thick and smooth (about 2–3 minutes).
6. Take off the heat and stir in Dijon mustard, Gruyère, cayenne (if using), and salt.
7. Let the cheese base cool for 5 minutes so it’s warm but not hot.
8. Whip the egg whites with cream of tartar (if using) and a pinch of salt to medium-stiff, glossy peaks.
9. Fold one-third of the whipped whites into the cheese base to loosen it.
10. Gently fold in the remaining whites until mostly uniform (a few small streaks are fine).
11. Spoon into the prepared dish(es), level the top, then run a thumb around the inside rim to help it rise straight.
12. Bake on the hot baking sheet until puffed and deeply golden (18–22 minutes for ramekins, 25–30 minutes for a large dish); do not open the oven during baking.
13. Serve immediately.

Notes

• For best rise: use a clean, grease-free bowl/whisk, and bake right after folding.
• If you have fewer whites: use 30g egg white per “1 large white” and scale the base proportionally.