Goat Cheese Souffles

Dear Michelle,

These are not to be lightly dismissed. Like most souffles, they are not without effort to produce, but believe me when I tell you that it is so worth it. They are light, rich, tangy with goat cheese, and crunchy with nuts; both indulgent in flavor and relatively healthy, they are perfect for when you want more than a salad but less than a gratin. Cooked in a water bath, unlike most souffles, they don't rise as high but are more stable, and so can be reheated for lunch or dinner the next day.

I first made these several years ago for a dinner party. I often willfully forget that you're never supposed to make something for the first time when people are coming over, but I've not had a serious mishap yet, and most of my friends are happy enough to have someone else cooking for them that I don't worry about it too much. Nor did I need to, when I made these the first time. Or the next, or the time after that. I wouldn't say they are foolproof, but if you closely follow the directions you will be rewarded. This recipe is out of the 1997 Joy of Cooking, a book which has rarely failed me (the exception that comes to mind is butter cream frosting; Julia Child's poached egg butter cream is the way to go).

My mother is usually happy to let me cook dinner when I offer; this way she doesn't have to worry about it, and usually my parents are pleased with the results. There was that time with the brussels sprouts, but overall they seem to like what I make for them. I knew they would love the goat's cheese souffles, and we've had them several times since the first. My father (a gastronomically indulged man) is always asking why we don't make souffles for him more often (telling him he could make souffles would inevitably lead to disaster), so the promise of these for dinner, and leftovers, will always make him happy.

Goat Cheese Souffles, pg 139 1997 edition Joy of Cooking

This is one of those recipes you'll want to read through more than once before starting, and assemble all ingredients and kitchen equipment you'll need. Trust me, you'll be happy you did. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F.

3/4 c walnuts or pecans
1/4-1/2 c softened unsalted butter
1/4 c cornmeal
3 T unsalted butter
1/4 c flour
2/3 c milk
10 oz fresh unripened goat's cheese
5 lg eggs
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced (or 2-3 T shallot)
1/4 t dried thyme (in the summer, I'd use fresh, finely chopped; here, I used herbes de Provence)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t white pepper (I used black, because that's what we had)
1/4 t cream of tartar

Toast nuts. While keeping an eye on these, generously butter 8 6-oz ramekins. I used a pastry brush with the softened butter. Finely chop nuts when cooled, then combine with cornmeal. Roll this mixture around the ramekins until thoroughly coated. Allow some extra to remain on the bottom. The JOC recommends dividing the remaining mixture among the ramekins, but I think that is too much. It is crucial to have the ramekins properly buttered and coated, as this will help the souffle slide up, so don't skimp. Start a kettle of water boiling for the water bath, and make sure you have a baking pan that fits all the ramekins.

If you haven't already chopped the garlic/ shallot, do this now. Divide the eggs; you'll want 5 whites and 4 yolks. Be very careful to avoid contaminating the whites with yolk or oil. I thoroughly clean two smallish bowls with soap and hot water, then wipe them with a paper towel and vinegar to degrease. Get another small bowl, for the yolks. Break and separate an egg (I use my hands to separate, I think it's easiest), putting the yolk into its bowl, then adding the white from the first to the second "whites bowl". This ensures that if the yolk does break, you only loose one white and not all of them. I know this sounds incredibly OCD, but if your whites are contaminated, they will not whip properly, and you'll have to start over again. It's worth washing and preparing the whisk/beaters and mixing bowl that you will be using at this time as well.

Warm milk. Melt 3T butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, continuing to cook, stirring, for 1 minute additionally. Remove from heat and stir in milk (slowly, or it will clump; I use a whisk, but if you do this, stir, do not aerate with it). Return to heat and bring to a boil, stirring briskly, until very thick (see below photo).

Scrape into bowl, then add goat cheese and mash till cheese is melted. Add in: 4 egg yolks, garlic or shallot, herbs, salt and pepper.

Beat whites until stiff but not dry, adding cream of tartar once they begin to foam.

Stir 1/4 of whites into souffle base to lighten it, then fold in the rest. It should not be combined all the way; there will be some small bits of just white visible.

Spoon into ramekins and place them into pan; add hot water till about 3/4 of the way up the sides. Bake until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes. The tops will be slightly golden. Do not open the oven door to look until at least half the cooking time has passed. Let stand in water bath for 15 minutes, then invert onto salad or plate. Can also be served flipped the other way around.

We ate them with pear and green salad, and slices of baguette brushed with the leftover ramekin butter and crisped in the oven.

Good eaten after reheating in the oven the next couple of days.