From Cooks Illustrated, here are their notes: We liked our cheese soufflé made with a base of béchamel, or roux-thickened white sauce, into which we stirred in the cheese and egg yolks left after separating the whites. Finally, we beat the whites using a mixer, folded them into the base, put the mixture into a soufflé dish, and baked it. Classically, a cheese soufflé is made with Gruyère cheese, and we couldn’t argue—Gruyère has a pleasant saltiness and sharpness, with aged nutty overtones and excellent melting properties that practically defines the dish. Cheese soufflé recipes often call for sprinkling the walls of the buttered soufflé dish with cheese before filling it to give the soufflé mixture traction as it climbs up the sides. For this purpose, we found grated Parmesan cheese to work well. You will need a 2-quart soufflé dish for this recipe. Flecks of herbs add flavor and color to this variation.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks, plus extra for coating the dish
½ ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)
1 small minced shallot
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
4 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch fresh ground nutmeg
3 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh tarragon leaves
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly butter the inside of a 2-quart soufflé dish, then coat evenly with 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan; set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and sautè until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and smooth, about 1 minute. Off the heat, whisk in the Gruyère, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks until completely incorporated. Stir in chives, parsley, and tarragon, and set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites in a separate bowl on medium-low speed until they are opaque and frothy, about 30 seconds. Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium-high, and continue to whip, watching carefully, until they are thick and form stiff peaks, about 2 1/2 minutes.
4. Working with one-quarter of the whipped egg whites at a time, gently fold them into the yolk mixture until almost no white streaks remain (a few streaks are okay). Gently pour the mixture into the prepared soufflé dish and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
5. Bake until the top is nicely browned, the center jiggles slightly, and an instant-read thermometer inserted through the top side registers 170 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.