Castilian cheese and herbs soufflé

Preparing a soufflé (as Miriam says) is an ideal option when you have guests... and now the dates are approaching when, more or less, everyone will have some commitment! Preparing it is within everyone's reach, but certain guidelines must be followed so that it turns out well. So I leave you with the advice from the author of The Winter Guest , and with this delicious cheese and herb soufflé.

The soufflé… that arcane thing. Or that is the idea we have of soufflés, a difficult preparation reserved only for the most posh and know-it-all chefs, forbidden to mere mortals. And somewhat old-fashioned, it sounds a bit out of fashion, doesn’t it? Admit it does.

Well, we're going to bring it back into fashion, because it's much easier to make than you think, it's a very attractive invention because the diners' eyes pop out of their sockets when we bring it to the table, and most importantly: a well-seasoned soufflé is delicious. And it's a fantastic idea for a starter for the Christmas holidays. Don't thank me, it's not important.

Getting back to what we were saying, among the savory soufflés (because there are also sweet ones) those with cheese are a classic, because the combination of eggs and cheese is always a safe bet.

By the way, yes, it is written as soufflé because the spelling has been adapted. There will always be some idiot who wonders why I spell it wrong. Yes, you, don't pretend.

Savoury soufflés consist of a base that gives them flavour, which is usually a béchamel or a more or less fluid mashed potato. They can have solid or non-solid toppings, but what is essential is the addition of a foam of egg whites, beaten until stiff, which is what makes them rise, fluff up and become soft and airy. Let's get on with the recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. butter
• 3 tbsp. plain flour
• 180 ml whole milk
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 4 yolks
• 6 egg whites
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch cream of tartar
• 110 g of Castilian or Manchego cheese (cured or semi-cured, depending on how strong we like the flavor)
• 1 tbsp kirsch
• chopped chives or basil to taste
• a little breadcrumbs

Elaboration

1. Before we get down to work, it is essential to have a good mise en place, that is, to have all the ingredients measured and the necessary utensils at hand, and to have read the recipe from top to bottom, because once we have the bechamel ready we must immediately add the rest of the ingredients and as soon as we have the ramekins full we must immediately put them in the oven so that the mixture does not fall.
2. So we will preheat the oven to 190° (without air, with heat from above and below) with a tray on the lowest level and a dish where we will later add the water from the bain-marie. This way we can make sure that the oven is at the right temperature when we finish the previous preparation.
3. We will also heat up some water, to add to the bain-marie dish as soon as we put the ramekins in the oven.
4. We spread four ramekins with butter, covering them well, and sprinkle them with breadcrumbs or the same grated cheese.
5. We grate the cheese and nutmeg and set them aside. We chop the herbs and cover them so they don't dry out.
6. We will have previously had the eggs and the whites at room temperature for at least an hour; they rise much more when beaten than if they are cold. We separate the yolks from the whites. To the whites we add the cream of tartar and the pinch of salt, add the two extra whites and set them aside.
7. We make the bechamel: we put the butter in a saucepan or small frying pan and melt it.
8. Add the flour and cook it with the butter until it is toasted, stirring with a wooden spoon for a couple of minutes. Add the warm milk all at once and beat quickly with a whisk to avoid lumps.
9. Add the yolks, kirsch and a little salt and mix well. Let the mixture cool down a little and start beating the egg whites. Beat them until stiff, but not too firm, to make it easier to mix them with the bechamel.
10. Just before the egg whites are ready, mix the cheese and herbs with the bechamel with yolks, mixing well. The cheese should not be mixed when the bechamel is still too hot so that it does not melt prematurely.
11. Once the egg whites are whipped, take just a ladle and mix it with the bechamel to make it a little more fluid, using a spatula and gentle, circular movements. Then, pour the bechamel mixture over the whipped egg whites and mix again using gentle, circular, but firm movements. The goal is to ensure that the egg whites fall as little as possible before they reach the oven.
12. When the mixture is fairly homogeneous, we distribute it into the ramekins . Fill them to the top. We immediately put the ramekins in the oven on the prepared dish and add boiling water to the dish, up to a height of a couple of fingers, no more is needed.
13. We bake the cheese soufflés for about 15-17 minutes, although the exact time depends on each oven; we must keep an eye on them, always without opening the oven door until they have risen properly. You will see that they almost look like they are going to jump out of the ramekins .
14. We test them with a skewer to see if they are set and serve them immediately, because they will go down immediately.

Pallarès carbon steel knife , De Buyer copper saucepan and set of four Emile Henry ramekins