Cheese Soufflé

• Sauté the flour in the butter, as if you were preparing a béchamel sauce.
• Add the milk and cook, stirring, for 5-8 minutes.
• Add a pinch of salt, pepper, nutmeg and let cook, stirring every so often.
• Shred the cheese into strips and add it slowly to the mixture.
• Add an egg yolk, one at a time.
• At this point, you’ll have a compact mixture.
• Heat the oven to 180°C.
• Butter all the surface of the soufflé serving dish (or 6 individual serving dishes) and then lightly sprinkle with flour.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff and then incorporate them carefully.
• “Incorporate” means adding an ingredient to a more solid mixture, delicately moving a wooden spoon upwards and downwords.
• If the egg whites fall, the soufflé won’t rise.
• This is why the best container is a stainless steel bowl with a semi-spherical bottom.
• If you don’t have one, a simple terrine will do.
• Pour the soufflé mixture into 6 small Pyrex moulds or other oven-proof individual serving dishes.
• Place in the oven for 20 minutes at 180°C without opening the oven door and then 5 minutes at 160°C.
• If you’re using a single serving container, add 10 minutes to the indicated cooking times.
• Turn off the oven and wait to remove the soufflé until the exact moment you’ll bring it to the table.
• Serve with a fondue, a Parmigiano cheese sauce. Perfect with a few shreds of white Alba truffle.

To learn the science behind the soufflé, read the article!