I’m sorry, WHAT? Soo-flay?!

by Jacquline Segal
Yes, soufflé…and—deep breaths—you totally can.  I wouldn’t dream of suggesting it if this wasn’t the case.   As easy as a pancake batter, but with 100x more wow factor.  THIS will impress your guests, I promise you.   

Stuffy and dated, you say?  True…the soufflé has long been a dish of years past.  A staple of French cooking 101, and the prim and proper dinner parties of yesteryear, the soufflé has already had a substantial amount of fame.  But honestly folks…this stuff is coming back in vogue, BIG TIME.  Give it a few months, and I guarantee you’ll be seeing soufflés a-rising (oof…sorry about that one) on menus from Toronto to Tallahassee.   It’s part of the über-common trend of classics revisited and reinvented.   Flavours however, are where chefs, and you, can get creative.   

I present you with individual goat cheese soufflés, with arugula and green onion.  But where I’ve put arugula and onion, you can go wild.  Thyme, parsley, chives, basil…all are possibilities.   And all, I’m sure, would be delicious.   

Individual Goat Cheese Soufflés

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 5 oz. Chevre (goat cheese)
  
• 3 eggs, separated
  
• 2 tablespoons of whatever greenery you chose.  In my case, green onion and arugula.
  
• salt and pepper to season
  
  

Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in flour, cooking on low heat for 30 seconds.  Remove the pan from heat and gradually stir in the milk until smooth.  Return the saucepan to heat, and, stirring constantly, until the milk mixture thickens.  (Should be approx. 1 minute).  Put the saucepan aside, away from heat to cool slightly.  Once the mixture has cooled, beat in your chevre, egg yolks, herbs, salt and pepper.     

In a separate dish, beat your egg whites until they form soft peaks.   Then, gently, fold the egg whites and cheese mixture together making sure to maintain fluffiness.  And yes, I did just say that.  If you find folding egg whites daunting, just think of doing a gentle figure-eight pattern through your mixture until everything’s incorporated.   Spoon the mixture out in to well greased ramekins, or, if you’re like me and don’t have any (a foodie!?  for shame!), use a muffin tin.   Put your mini-soufflés in the middle of a 400 degree oven, for approximately 18 minutes, making sure they’re slightly golden on top, but not too overdone.  Once done, they should cool for about 10 minutes before serving.  And, don’t fret if they fall.  One or two of mine…ahem…may have as well.  I refer you to garnishing techniques you see here to compensate for such minor infractions. 

Enjoy!