Blue Cheese Soufflé

The second recipe for this month brings us to Blue Cheese Soufflé from Barefoot in Paris, one of my favorites of all of Ina Garten’s cookbooks.  If you were looking for my Cheddar Corn Chowder earlier this month, I took a pass since I made (and loved) it a while back.  The past few weeks have been a little nutty around here and since I didn’t have time to make this soup again, I’m posting the link to my original post in can you want to check it out.

So I’ll put it out there: I was nervous about this recipe for a couple of reasons.  First, I’ve never made a soufflé before and I’d hate to screw it up and have to post about it here. 😉 Second, we’re both still learning to like blue cheese; it’s never ever been a favorite but we keep trying it in various things.  Actually for this recipe I used Gorgonzola since it’s what I had in the fridge, but I’m not sure I would have insisted on using expensive blue cheese even if I really liked it and didn’t already have the Gorgonzola.

I’m still not really sure what to say about this soufflé. The recipe was fairly easy to put together and I couldn’t have been happier with the rise I got although it browned too quickly and didn’t cook fully at the very bottom. I made it just last night after working all day so I was definitely pleased it was doable on a weeknight. I paired it with a nice boneless ribeye that I grilled and it proved to be a nice side for the steak even though it was intended to be served as a main course. But…we didn’t love it.  And we didn’t hate it either.  We were both fairly indifferent and I know it had more to do with the cheese than the soufflé itself.  That said, I’m happy that we gave it a shot with the Gorgonzola but I’ll definitely give it a try again with some nice sharp cheddar.

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Be sure to come back the week of November 3-7 when I’ll be posting 5 new Ina Garten recipes during the Barefoot Bloggers’ Week with the Barefoot Contessa!

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Blue Cheese Soufflé

source: Ina Garten, Barefoot in Paris, page 50

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup scalded milk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• 4 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 3 ounces good Roquefort cheese, chopped
• 5 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Butter the inside of an 8-cup souffle dish (7 1/2 inches in diameter and 3 1/4 inches deep) and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.
3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the hot milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the cayenne, and nutmeg. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, until smooth and thick.
4. Off the heat, while still hot, whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the Roquefort and the 1/4 cup of Parmesan and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
5. Put the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, on medium speed for 1 minute, then finally on high speed until they form firm, glossy peaks.
6. Whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the cheese sauce to lighten and then fold in the rest. Pour into the souffle dish, then smooth the top. Draw a large circle on top with the spatula to help the souffle rise evenly, and place in the middle of the oven. Turn the temperature down to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (don’t peek!) until puffed and brown. Serve immediately.

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