Twice Baked Smoked Goats Cheese Soufflé

Serves: 6

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

This is a great dinner party starter to impress your friends with, but the best thing about it is that it can be made up to 2 days ahead (up to stage 7) and stored in the fridge, meaning you have a minimal amount of work to do whilst you're guests are with you!

Ingredients:

300ml whole milk

1 white onion, peeled and quartered

2 sprigs rosemary

2 bay leaves

50g unsalted butter, plus 2 tbsp for the moulds

50g gluten free plain flour, plus 3 tbsp for the moulds

Pinch tartar

125g grated smoked goats cheese

Freshly grated nutmeg

3 egg yolks

4 egg whites (around 120g)

400ml Single cream

800g goats cheese log

Herb salad

Bread

Method:

1. To infuse the milk, warm it in a small saucepan over medium heat and then remove form the heat and add the onion, rosemary and bay leaf. Allow this to infuse for half an hour before straining. Remove the rosemary and finely chop to add to the sauce later.

2. Melt the extra 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Once this melted, brush one layer inside 6 ramekin moulds or small pudding basins and leave to set repeat with a second layer of butter, and put a small circle of baking parchment in the bottom of the mould. Whilst the butter is still slightly warm dust, the inside with the extra flour, turning to coat.

3. Next you want to make the cheese filling. Start by melting the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat then add the flour and the cream of tartar and cook for a couple of minutes, to take the rawness out of the flour.

4. Gradually add the strained milk, whisking as you go and cook for a few minutes to form a thick, smooth sauce. Add the goats cheese, the nutmeg and the chopped rosemary and gently cook until the cheese has melted. Take off the heat and beat in the three egg yolks and season with salt and pepper, allow it to cool to room temperature.

5. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Using a handheld electric whisk or stand mixer, whisk egg whites to stiff peaks. Add to the cooled cheese sauce, one third at a time, folding it in gently with a rubber spatula, so not to lose the air.

6. Divide the mixture between the prepared ramekins, filling up to 3/4 full. Play these in a deep baking tray, half full with water and bake for 20 minutes until nicely risen. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the ramekins.

7. Once cool, remove the soufflés by inverting them into individual, cast iron dishes, or a large baking discs and removing the parchment discs. You may need to run a small palette knife around the inside of the ramekin to loosen.

8. Once ready to serve, preheat the oven to 220°C and pour the cream over and around the soufflés. Slice the goats cheese into one centimetre thick rounds and place one on top of each soufflé. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and then transfer to under a hot grill for another few minutes to caramelise. Serve immediately with a herb salad and some crusty bread, if desired.

Tip: You want to choose a goats cheese log that is around the same diameter as the bottom of you moulds, i.e. so it fits nicely on the top of your soufflés. To make it easier to slice the goats cheese for the tops; simply pop the whole goats cheese in the freezer for 30 minutes before you want to finish cooking the soufflés, this makes them firmer and not likely to split or disintegrate as you cut them.