Cheese soufflé (Julia Child recipe)

I love Julia Child's book. It's a book that explains different culinary techniques, knowing that the reader may know nothing about cooking, and shows them applied to the many recipes it presents. That way you gradually enter the culinary world, and the truth is her passion for cooking infects you.

For those who know little (or nothing!) about cooking, it is definitely a must-read; and those who already have a lot of knowledge enjoy all the recipes Julia proposes, and with which they can certainly shine.

That said, I love that Carmen, from Yerbabuena en la cocina, has made one of the recipes found in Julia Child's book. An ideal proposal for summer, and one I'm sure you'll enjoy.

Summer comes in strong and the heat is starting to take its toll; it gets harder to sleep at night and we increasingly want to prepare light or fresh things that not only help us feel better, but also give us more time to enjoy family or friends without it being an extra effort while our longed-for vacations approach.

At my house we love grazing, informal meals; I really enjoy improvising a dinner with family and friends, and I admit Saturday nights are very special to me, since I take advantage of them to sit with my children on the couch around the table while they take out from the fridge what they like best: some cold cuts, pizzas, different types of cheeses that are never missing at home...

That's why I couldn't resist showing you this Tellier “Frisette” cutter, which makes large shavings in the shape of rosettes called girolles, designed for the Swiss cheese Tête de Moine, whose name means monk's head, and which comes from the Bellelay Abbey.

But returning to today's recipe, I'll tell you that the soufflé is a classic of French cuisine: light, smooth, delicate, and loved by both children and adults, whether in sweet or savory versions.

And what better reference than Julia Child, an icon of French cooking, to learn how to make a good soufflé? Her books are a culinary compendium of fine practice, with rigorously tested recipes and clear, precise instructions. Of North American origin, Julia Child elevated an act as everyday as cooking to something far more sublime and, as the title of her work says, brought The Art of French Cooking within our reach.

I followed the recipe from the book to the letter; only instead of using a larger mold, I used these beautiful Le Creuset ramekins, which I served accompanied by a simple, tasty salad of arugula, figs, and Tête de Moine girolles, which contrast perfectly in both flavor and texture.

In the photo, Pallarès boxwood-handled knife, Bérard olive wood board, Le Creuset ramekins, frisette cheese cutter, and Julia Child's books The Art of French Cooking, volumes 1 and 2.

Ingredients (4 people)

For the soufflé:

• 3 Tablespoons of butter
• 3 Tablespoons of flour
• 1 Cup boiling milk (200 g)
• 4 Egg yolks
• 5 Egg whites beaten to stiff peaks
• ¾ Cup grated gruyere cheese
• 1 Tablespoon grated parmesan
• ½ Teaspoon salt
• White pepper
• A pinch of nutmeg
• Butter to grease the molds
• Breadcrumbs

For the salad:

• 1 Package of arugula
• 4 Figs cut into quarters
• 8 Tête de Moine girolles

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt

Preparation

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour without stopping stirring and leave over medium heat for about two minutes. Add the boiling milk and incorporate the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir with a whisk to mix well and once it begins to boil let it simmer for one minute without stopping stirring. The béchamel must be very thick. Remove from the heat.
2. Separate the whites from the yolks, add the yolks one by one to the milk saucepan, stirring after each addition, until the last one is incorporated. Adjust salt.
3. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks; if using an electric mixer, start at low speed for a minute or until you see them begin to foam, then add a pinch of salt and gradually increase the speed until you achieve glossy peaks.
4. Incorporate a quarter of the whites into the saucepan mixture and fold in with gentle movements. Add the gruyere and parmesan (both should have been grated previously; the Microplane zester grater works wonderfully for me—I'm sure you've heard of it because they say it's the best in the world); then add the rest of the whites and fold with enveloping movements from bottom to top and towards the center.
5. Pour the soufflé mixture into the ramekins (I used Le Creuset's, but if not available you could also use mini-cocottes), previously greased with a little butter and sprinkled with breadcrumbs; the containers should be three-quarters full. Tap the molds lightly on the table and smooth the surface of the soufflé a bit.
6. Preheat the oven to 205º. Place the ramekins in the middle of the oven and lower the temperature to 190º; bake until the surface begins to brown. Leave them in the oven for 4 or 5 minutes more to give them a bit more consistency.
7. To prepare the salad, take the Tête de Moine cheese out of the fridge a while before so it can come to room temperature. Rotate the cutter's blade over it, remove the flower-shaped shavings and set aside.
8. Mix all the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Cut the figs into quarters. Place the arugula in a salad bowl, dress it with the dressing and arrange on plates leaving a space for the ramekin. Place the figs and cheese flowers.
9. After the 4 minutes, serve the soufflés immediately with the salad.