Cheese Soufflé Unfailing Comté Recipe

An emblematic dish, cheese soufflé is simpler than it seems if you follow a few techniques. And so good with a Comté AOP.

In this article, before the unfailing recipe, we will explore:

the history of soufflé,
basic techniques to prepare it, techniques relatively simplebut requiring special attention the first time to fully understand how to do it and succeed,
the basic ingredientseggs, milk, flour and butter, which are simple and economical and allow you to make a perfect soufflé,
and some ideas for variations to create sweet or savory soufflés.

This dish is both easy and complex to make, and requires precise technique to achieve perfection.
But with the few explanations that I will give you, it will be a success every time. No need to worry, we’re more interested in a traditional grandmother’s recipe than an ultra-complicated gourmet dish.
You will obtain a light and airy texture, which is obtained by incorporating beaten egg whites into a base of béchamel sauce flavored with cheese.

Origin and history of Soufflé

The history of soufflé goes back in the 18th century, where he was served as dessert at the royal court. Since then, soufflé has become a traditional French dish, and is often served as a main course or dessert in fine dining restaurants.

The exact origin of the soufflé remains uncertain, but many historians agree that the dish was created by a French chef named Vincent de la Chapelle.
De la Chapelle published a cookbook in 1735 called “Le Cuisinier Moderne,” in which he described a recipe for a dish called “soufflet” that was very similar to what we today call a soufflé.

The essential ingredients for a savory soufflé

The basic ingredients are:

Soft butter
Flour
Milk
Eggs
Cheese: Grated Comté or Gruyère, Beaufort, Tomme, Emmental, Parmesan…
Salt, pepper and nutmeg

The main steps in preparing the soufflé

We make a béchamel with a tant pour tant, that is to say the same quantity of butter and flour.
Melt the butter slowly, then add the flour all at once and mix immediately. Once well diluted, let it cook for a few moments, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula. This will cook the flour. This creates a roux.
Then add the milk little by little over medium heat, mixing constantly, always using a wooden spatula or a whisk. The preparation will gradually thicken.
We stop as soon as the texture is very dense or at the first broth.

Then we separate the whites from the egg yolks by putting the whites in a sufficiently large bowl (or in the bowl of the food processor) because we will have to beat the whites until stiff.
Add the egg yolks to the béchamel mixture off the heat. Add them one by one, mixing immediately.

Then always add the grated cheese off the heat. and we mix. It is important to grate the cheese finely so that it mixes well with the béchamel.
The cheese should be added to the béchamel before the egg whites, so that it has time to melt and mix with the sauce.

We salt, pepper and add nutmeg, it doesn’t matter when, either at the beginning in the béchamel or at the end with the grated cheese. Be careful not to use too much salt because as there is a lot of cheese, it could make it too salty.

Finally we whip the egg whites until stiff and we gently incorporate them into the preparation.

We butter and flour the individual ceramic ramekins. We butter the sides with a movement from bottom to top, I will explain why right after.
If you don’t have ceramic ramekins, you can use other individual molds, such as muffin molds, you will need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Fill individual ramekins ¾ full.
Then we cook for 10 minutes at 200°C in a preheated oven of course, and we eat immediately

The key techniques for successful soufflés

Make your béchamel correctly, the base of the soufflé

In addition to the advice above, I tell you everything about béchamel with a detailed recipe and advice in a dedicated article.

Use a finely grated hard cheese

Comté is perfect. It is better to use a hard cheese so that it does not add too much moisture to the gratin which could then be too soft and not expand well. And grate it finely so that it mixes well with the still hot béchamel.

Prepare stiff egg whites

Preparing the egg whites is a crucial step in making a successful soufflé. The egg whites should be beaten until stiff and glossy.
Be careful not too much though, they could then grain. It is important not to incorporate egg yolk into the whites, as this would prevent the whites from rising properly, which is why they are incorporated into the béchamel beforehand.
Adding a pinch of salt might help, some say, but some chefs say it doesn’t help.

Butter the ramekins specifically

Ideally use a kitchen brush, or failing that, your fingers rather than using absorbent paper to spread the butter. Use unsalted or semi-salted butter at room temperature. It is important that it is very soft to adhere generously to the walls.

Butter the bottom of the ramekins and for the sides, butter in movements from bottom to top all around. This will create small vertical lines of butter that will help the soufflé rise in height. This may seem futile but I tested it this way and it seems to help.

Cooking Tips and Serving

The soufflé should be cooked in an oven preheated to a high temperature, 200°C. It is important not to open the oven door while cooking, as this could cause the soufflé to fall.

For individual ramekins, around ten minutes in the oven is enough. The soufflés are cooked when they are well puffed and golden.

A soufflé must be served immediately after cookingbecause it will start to fall as soon as it is taken out of the oven.

Recipe variations

Soufflé with different cheeses

I offer you here of the County but you can use other hard cheeses like THE Beaufort, gruyere, parmesan, sheep’s cheese… Or a blue cheese, why not, or a soft cheese like brie or camembert, but if you use a cheese that is too soft and therefore more humid in its composition, you may need to modify the quantities in the recipe. I will make suggestions to you soon.

We can also add herbs (dry herbs or dried herbs) or various spices to add flavor and vary flavors.

Vegetable soufflé

To prepare a vegetable soufflé, one can use a variety of vegetables such as spinach, mushrooms, carrots, zucchini… The vegetables are steamed or fried and well drained, and used either whole or blended into puree.

Chocolate soufflé

The chocolate soufflé is the ultra-indulgent sweet version of the classic soufflé. To prepare this recipe, mix egg yolks with cornstarch, to which milk and chocolate are added. Then we incorporate the whipped egg whites. So it’s without béchamel. The soufflé is then baked in the oven until well puffed.

We can serve the chocolate soufflé with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for an ultra decadent dessert.