When cooking for friends and family at home, a twice-baked soufflé is always a good idea. For one thing, you have none of the stress of a regular soufflé, as you don’t have to worry about it deflating on the way to the table – it’s done that already! It’s an elegant dish, but one that is so much fun, especially when you serve it in a perky little ramekin or a colourful mini casserole.
TWICE BAKED CHEESE SOUFFLÉ
TIME: 1 hours 20 minutes | SERVES: 8
for the cheese soufflé
90 g (100 ml) butter
100 g leeks, thinly sliced
2 corn on the cob
60 g (110 ml) cake flour
500 ml full cream milk
150 g Boerenkaas, grated
5 eggs, separated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
for the second bake
500 ml cream
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 clove of garlic, crushed
100 g Boerenkaas, grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
for the mustard vinaigrette
5 ml wholegrain mustard
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 ml fynbos honey
20 ml white wine vinegar
80 ml extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
for the corn slaw
2 corn on the cob, blanched
10 ml extra virgin olive oil
2 spring onions, sliced
5 g chives, sliced
60 g mixed baby salad leaves
for the cheese soufflé
Heat the oven to 180 °C. Melt the butter in a 22 cm Le Creuset Signature Round Casserole. Add the leeks and sauté until soft. Once the leeks are soft cut the corn kernels off of the cob and add to the leeks.
Add the flour and mix until smooth. Cook for 2 minutes while stirring constantly. Add the milk and keep stirring to avoid any lumps. Continue to cook until it reaches the consistency of a thick custard. Add the cheese and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Keep one side to cool before adding the egg yolks
Add the egg yolks and mix well. Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then fold them into the cheese mixture into thirds.
Spray 8 Le Creuset 10 cm Mini Round Cocotte pots with edible food spray. Evenly divide the mixture into the cocottes and place them on an oven dish. Pour hot water into the oven dish until the water reaches halfway up the cocottes’ sides. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Once the soufflés are baked, take out of oven and run the edge of a knife around the edge. Gently tip the souffles out of the cocottes and allow to cool.
for the second bake
Heat the oven to 180 °C. Pour the cream into a saucepan and add the garlic and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Heat the cream to a medium heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and pour through a fine sieve. Discard the herbs and garlic.
Place each souffle back into their cocottes and pour the cream evenly over each soufflé. Sprinkle the cheese on top of each soufflé, put them back in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
for the mustard vinaigrette
Place the wholegrain mustard, lemon zest, honey and white wine vinegar in a bowl. Lightly whisk so everything is incorporated. Slowly start pouring the oil into the mustard mixture in a thin and steady stream while whisking continuously.
for the corn slaw
Heat a saucepan over a high heat. Drizzle the olive oil into the pan. Place the blanched corn into the pan and fry for several minutes on all sides. Remove from the pan and leave to cool.
Slice the kernels off the cob. Mix the salad by placing the corn, spring onion, chives and baby lettuce leaves in a bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper.