A souffle is a baked egg-based dish that originated in France in the early 18th century. The word souffle comes from the French word souffler, which means “to breathe” or “to puff.” Egg whites beaten to a soft peak give the dish lift or puffiness. Souffles are typically baked in individual ramekin dishes or larger souffle dishes and will be slightly wobbly and pudding-like in the center when removed from the oven. Savory souffles such as ones containing cheese, herbs, vegetables, or meat can be served as an entrée. Sweet varieties like ones with chocolate or fruit are served as dessert and possibly with ice cream or sauce.
Recipe Servings: 6
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Total Time
50 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- ¼ cup and 2 Tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated and divided
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1¼ cups heavy cream
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 3 large egg whites
- 3 Tbsp dry sherry
- 6 oz (2 cups, packed) Gruyere cheese, shredded
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
- 1¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp dry mustard
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 1 ½-quart souffle dish and coat it with 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano cheese.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and stir in the flour to make a paste.
- Whisk in the cream and bring it to a boil over medium heat while whisking.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook, while whisking, for about 3 minutes or until very thick.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and let it cool.
- Stir in the egg yolks, sherry, Gruyere, sour cream, salt, Dijon mustard, dry mustard, cayenne, and ¼ cup Parmigiano.
- Combine all seven egg whites and the cream of tartar in a separate bowl. Beat the mixture using an electric mixer until firm peaks form.
- Fold a third of the egg whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it and then fold in the rest until no streaks remain.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and run a finger around the inside of the rim to wipe away any batter.
- Bake the souffle for about 35 minutes or until it is golden-brown and puffed up.
- Remove the souffle from the oven and serve it immediately.
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