I have to admit I was never much of a cheese guy until my fiancée and I visited Switzerland last fall.
Don’t get me wrong; I’ve always liked cheese. And I’ve studied wine and cheese pairings for years because I’ve been lucky to have a handful of mentors who really know their stuff in that area.
But Swiss cheese is different. Let me be clear: I’m not talking about what is commonly referred to as “Swiss cheese” here in America — a white cheese, often with holes in it. I’m talking about the gamut of cheeses from Switzerland, including the Gruyere called for in the recipe that follows.
I’m not sure what it is. Perhaps the cows are happier in Switzerland (like the one shown here, which we encountered during a nighttime stroll through the village of Engelberg). Whatever the reason, their milk sure does produce some amazing cheeses. So, try to find some Gruyere from Switzerland to use in this recipe.
Then when it’s time to eat it, open a Rhone style white blend or a rosé-style wine like those featured in today’s sale on summer whites & lights.
SWISS-STYLE CHEESE SOUFFLE
You’ll need metric measuring tools for this dish, as it’s provided by Cheeses from Switzerland. It also requires a 1.5-liter soufflé dish. This recipe yields 4 servings.
Ingredients
- Butter for the bottom of the dish
Bechamel Sauce Ingredients
- 300 ml milk
- 50 g butter, cut into pieces
- 50 g flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Pepper from a mill
- A little nutmeg
Soufflé Mixture Ingredients
- 150 g freshly grated Gruyere
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 egg whites, beaten with 1/4 tsp. of baking powder
Preparation
- For the bechamel sauce, whisk together the milk, butter and flour in a stainless steel pan, and bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring continuously.
- On low heat, reduce to a thick sauce for a further 5-10 minutes, and season.
- For the soufflé, mix the cheese into the hot sauce and allow to cool a little.
- Mix in the egg yolk.
- Carefully mix in the beaten egg white in two halves, and then immediately transfer the mixture into the soufflé dish.
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes in the lower half of the oven.
