Whew. The last two weeks, nay, the past month has been crazy nuts. We have been BUSY. There’s been traveling, and hiking, and visiting with friends and family. There’s been working and more working. There has been stress, but thankfully, there has also been plenty of laughter to alleviate some of it, and there has also been some darn good food here and there along the way.
Like this souffle. I made this weeks ago, right before things got hectic, and I’ve been waiting, sometimes less than patiently, to share it with you. If you’ve ever thought of making a souffle, and pushed the idea aside thinking it’s too hard, think again. I, too, left my souffle dreams unfulfilled because I thought I wasn’t up to the task. They have a reputation as demanding and persnickety, and I’m not always good with persnickety. But this was surprisingly easy. And wow, delightful. It made an ordinary Sunday night dinner feel so special.
The recipe comes from Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table
I halved Dorie’s recipe, and it was more than enough for two. This is a rich treat, and is perfect alongside a light herb-y green salad. There is a lot of cheese in this thing and it smells heavenly. I used a mix of Gruyere and Emmenthal; she also suggests Swiss, and I am curious how this dish would differ with another type of cheese, like Manchego or a mild goat cheese.
Making a souffle is fun, and actually quite simple: It starts with a basic bechamel, into which cheese is melted and egg whites are folded. Then it bakes and emerges puffed and steaming and really quite impressive. I was nervous that it would fall in the oven if I so much as walked into the kitchen, but it’s not as delicate as all that. Dorie does specify that you shouldn’t so much as think of opening the oven door for the first 25 minutes of baking time. I heeded her warnings, and all was fine.
This does need to be served right away, as it begins to deflate pretty quickly. I managed to get in a few pictures, but the souffle did not want to sit around and wait. It was impatient to be eaten, and we were impatient to eat it.
A souffle might not really scream Memorial Day weekend, but if you’re inclined to give it a try, I’m sure people would be pleased. Or you could file the recipe away: Bastille Day is coming up, after all. I wouldn’t file it away for too long, though. Now that you know that it’s not as intimidating as its made out to be, you have no excuse.
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