Cheese and herb soufflés recipe

Bursting with flavour, these fluffy cheese and herb soufflés make a delicious light lunch or you can serve them as a simple starter.

Ingredients

• 30g (1oz) butter
• 30g (1oz) plain flour
• 200ml (7fl oz) milk
• 150g (5oz) Comté, Emmental, or Beaumont cheese, finely grated
• 2tbsp chopped fresh parsley or chives
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large eggs, separated

For the sauce

• 1 large plum tomato, deseeded, finely chopped
• 1tbsp small capers, rinsed and drained
• 1tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 4tbsp chopped fresh herbs (mixture of parsley, chives, tarragon and a little mint)
• Rocket leaf salad, for serving
• 8 x 150ml (¼ pint) ramekins, generously buttered, baselined with a disc of nonstick baking parchment

Method

1. Set the oven to gas mark 5 or 190°C. Heat the butter in a medium pan until foamy, and stir in the flour to make a smooth paste. Cook for a minute, take off the heat and gradually stir in the milk. Return to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until boiling. Reduce the heat and simmer for a minute.
2. Remove pan from heat and stir in 100g (3½oz) of the cheese, then the herbs, and seasoning. Beat in the egg yolks.
3. Whisk egg whites in a large bowl until stiff and mix in a quarter of the cheese sauce, then fold in rest of sauce. Spoon into the ramekins. Bake for 20 mins, then take out of the oven and leave to cool.
4. Run a round-bladed knife around the edges of the soufflés, turn them out and remove the paper disc. Put the soufflés back on to a buttered baking sheet. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over.
5. Put the tray of soufflés in the oven and bake for 15 mins, until golden.
6. Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients for the sauce.
7. Put soufflés on serving plates. Garnish with salad leaves. Spoon a little sauce over. (Not suitable for freezing).