Soufflé Au Fromage

This is one of Julia Child's more popular recipes from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". I have yet to even come close to make all her recipes but this is something that is a favorite and my DD requested I make for her on her 9th birthday. I love the way Julia takes the time to explains her steps. I have to slow down, but I actually learn something.. Enjoy.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 1 souffle

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1  teaspoon unsalted butter
• 1  tablespoon swiss cheese or 1  tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated
• 3  tablespoons flour
• 1  cup milk, boiling
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
•  cayenne pepper, pinch
•  nutmeg, pinch
• 4  egg yolks
•  salt, pinch
• 5  egg whites
• 1  cup parmesan cheese or 1  cup swiss cheese, grated

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Butter the inside of a 6 cup souffle mold and sprinkle it with 1 Tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese. .
3. In a heavy saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, slowly.
4. Stir in 3 tablespoons of flour with a wooden spoon and cook over moderate heat until butter and flour foam together for 2 minutes without browning.
5. Remove from heat; when the mixture has stopped bubbling, pour in 1 cup of milk, that's been heated just to boiling, all at once.
6. Beat vigorously with a whip until blended.
7. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt, 1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper, a pinch of cayenne pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
8. Return over moderately high heat and boil, stirring with the whip, for 1 minute. Sauce will be very thick.
9. Remove the sauce from the heat.
10. If you haven't done so already, immediately start to separate 5 eggs.
11. Drop the whites into a bowl, add 4 yolks into the center of the hot sauce and beat in well, one at a time.
12. Note, ONLY 4 YOLKS in the sauce, but save 5 WHITES! Adjust seasonings at this point.
13. Add your egg whites to a clean mixing bowl with a pinch of salt and beat until stiff.
14. Stir a big spoonful of the beaten whites into the sauce.
15. Stir in 1 cup (minus 1 tablespoon) of grated Swiss cheese.
16. Delicately fold in the rest of the egg whites. Be careful not to over-fold! This is a very important step!
17. Turn the souffle mixture into the prepared mold, which should be almost 3/4 full. Tap bottom of mold lightly on the table, and smooth the surface of the souffle with the flat of a knife.
18. Sprinkle the reserved tablespoon of Swiss cheese on top.
19. Set on a rack in the middle of a preheated 400 degree oven and immediately turn the heat down to 375 (DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR FOR 20 MINUTES!).
20. In 25-30 minutes the souffle will have puffed about 2 inches over the rim of the mold, and the top will be nicely browned.
21. Bake 4-5 more minutes to firm it up, then serve at once.
22. A well baked souffle will stay puffed for about 5 minutes in the turned off hot oven. As it cools, it begins to sink. Therefore, there should be no lingering when a souffle is to be eaten.
23. To serve a souffle, puncture the top lightly with a serving spoon and fork--held vertically--and spread it apart for each serving!
24. Bon Appetite!