Cheese Souffle

by Daniel Rogov

butter and flour (to prepare the souffle dish)
1 cup butter
1/4 cup flour, sifted
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
dash Tabasco sauce
1 1/2 cups milk
125 gr. Gruyere, Emmenthal or sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 eggs, separated

Generously grease the bottom and sides of a souffle dish with butter and then sprinkle the buttered surfaces very lightly with flour. Preheat the oven to hot.

In a double boiler, over boiling water melt the butter and to this add the flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Tabasco. Mix well and gradually stir in the milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Into this slowly add the cheese, stirring regularly until well melted and the mixture is uniform. Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg yolks until light and gradually pour these into the cheese sauce. (Note: To this point the souffle may be prepared several hours in advance if the surface is dabbed with butter, covered and refrigerated).

Clean a bowl thoroughly, making sure it is neither greasy nor damp. In this bowl beat the egg whites (by hand or with an electric mixer but not with a food processor) until they are stiff. If the cheese mixture has been prepared in advance reheat it to the point where it is hot to the touch and then fold it into the egg whites. Pour the mixture into the souffle dish and place in an oven that has been preheated to 200 degrees Celsius Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 190 degrees and bake until the souffle has risen 5 - 8 centimeters over the rim of the mold and is nicely browned on top.

Note: Because souffles begin to sink as they cool, they should be served as soon as possible. A well cooked souffle will remain puffy for about 5 minutes in the oven, but be sure to turn the oven heat off.

(Serves 6)

Daniel Rogov is the restaurant and wine critic for the daily newspaper Ha'aretz. He is also the senior writer for Wine and Gourmet Magazine and contributes culinary and wine articles to newspapers in Europe and the United States.