A Simple Cheese Soufflé with Pesto & Roast Tomatoes
Kim believes, if you can make a white sauce and separate an egg you can make a cheese souffle. Whilst is might sound daunting, she ensures there’s nothing scary to see here.
Does your fridge end up with bits and bobs of leftover cheeses which might be wasted? Pop them in the freezer until you have an urge to make this easy and classic souffle.
Make it as a single recipe, double or triple it. Add a little something extra if you feel like it – some fine bacon and onion in the butter melting stage or a touch of chilli. If it goes with cheese it goes with cheese souffle.
And those fancy sounding twice cooked souffles? Just your chilled souffle, turned out onto a baking/serving dish with room for some cream and cheese poured over it – and baked again.
As the weather cools down, Kim realised that the first frosts are going to destroy her basil crop sometime soon – so hey, pesto time! Same with the tomatoes. Roast tomato sauce is as versatile as pesto. Make this simple cheese souffle something completely magical full of zingy summer flavours.
Cheese Souffle
Serves 4-6 as an entrée or light meal
Ingredients
- 80 grams butter
- 80 grams plain white flour
- A teaspoon of finely chopped herbs – thyme & sage are perfect
- 150 grams of mixed cheeses, grated
- 5 eggs, separated
- 400mls milk (or cream if you’d like it richer)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Pinch of ground pepper
- Pinch of paprika or cayenne pepper
- Handful of breadcrumbs (optional), Kim used Althea pangrattato
Souffle Method
- Heat the oven to 180degrees
- Butter ovenproof moulds – individual or a single serving dishes with tall sides that will fit the mixture with about three quarters up the side. You don’t need a souffle mould.
- In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter then add the flour, seasoning and herbs, cook for about three minutes stirring. Add the milk and mix until there are no lumps. Then add the cheese and the lastly the egg yolks to combine. It is quite thick at this stage.
- Beat the egg whites till they form firm peaks, then gently and thoroughly fold this through the base mixture.
- Pour into your prepared dish, top with the breadcrumbs and place in a water bath (a larger dish that the souffle dishes can sit in with water about halfway up the sides). Place in the oven and cook until golden brown and popping out of its top, about 20 minutes for small dishes and longer depending on the size.
Kim’s Quick Roast Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 500grams tomatoes – larger ones roughly chopped
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- A couple of cloves of garlic, sliced
- A little fresh thyme
- A good pinch each of salt, pepper and sugar
- 75 mls of good olive extra virgin olive oil
Add ingredients to a small roasting dish and cook for about 15 minutes at 180 degrees. Use this as a side with the cheese souffle, add to a tart with soft cheese, top creamy polenta or puree for pizza and anything else sauce.
Kim’s Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 cups of firmly fresh green leaves (firmly pressed to measure) – basil is traditional
- 1 tablespoon roasted pine nuts or other nuts you might like
- 2 cloves of garlic (roast it with the nuts if you’d like that mellow flavour)
- 40 grams shredded parmesan
- 100mls extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Use some rocket and parsley with your basil and the colour will hold better. Pop into freezer cubes and keep in the freezer if you’re not going to eat it all in a few days. Process all ingredients together to make a paste.
