Zucchini Flowers

Zucchini Flowers

Read Full Post »

Classic Cheese Souffle

Classic Cheese Souffle

Ingredients
30g of plain flour
30g butter
1 cup warm milk
3 Tablespoons freshly grated Gruyere cheese
2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
5 eggs separated
Salt and black or white pepper
Extra butter for coating ramekins
1-2 finely grated Parmesan cheese for coating ramekins
Butter for greasing baking paper if making the cheese sauce ahead of time.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Butter a 1 litre ramekin dish or 2-3 smaller sized ramekins.  Make sure the dishes are completely coated. Place a tablespoon of parmesan cheese into each ramekin and roll the cheese around to coat the inside of the ramekins. This will prevent the souffle sticking and facilitate rising. Tip the leftover parmesan into the next ramekin until they are all coated.
Melt 30g of butter in a small heavy based saucepan.
Stir in flour and cook on medium heat, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Gradually add milk stirring all the while.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow sauce to simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in gruyere and 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese. Then stir in the egg yolks one at a time.
Taste for seasoning.
Transfer to a large mixing bowl. If making the cheese sauce ahead of time, cover the sauce with a piece of buttered baking paper and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before adding the egg whites.
Whisk egg whites.
Take 1/3 of beaten egg whites and mix in the egg whites until until well incorporated into the cheese sauce.  Then add another 1/3 of the beaten eggs whites and using a metal spoon lift and fold the egg whites through the mixture. Repeat with the remaining 1/3 of the egg white mixture until well incorporated and the mixture is frothy and spongy.
Carefully pour mixture into prepared ramekins. Run your thumb around the inside edge of the the souffle dish so it will rise with a flattened edge.
Place souffles on a tray and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes depending on the size and number of dishes used. Do not open the oven during cooking. When cooked the centre should be well risen and brown.  To check if the souffle is cooked, touch gently – the souffle should yield but not feel liquid. The top should be crusty with a creamy, saucy middle.
Remove souffle from the oven and serve immediately.

Notes:

The cheese sauce can be made a head of time to sit at room temperature an hour before adding the egg whites. Cover the sauce with a piece of  buttered baking paper to prevent a hard skin forming.

Methods for avoiding your souffle spilling over the dish when cooking:
– If the temperature is too low, it will not “seize” the souffle quickly enough and the mixture will spill over as it is baked.
– Ramekins can be filled approximately 2cm lower than the top of the dish so when the souffle rises it does not spill over.
– Do not beat the egg whites until they are stiff or the souffles can rise too high and spill over the rims of the mould. Instead whip the eggwhites until they just begin to hold their shape.
Source:  Il Viaggio Di Vetri: A Culinary Journey By Marc Vetri, David Joachim, Douglas Takeshi Wolfe

Read Full Post »

Spinach and Fetta Tart with Rocket, Pear, Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad

Spinach and Fetta Tart

Rocket, pear, walnut & blue cheese salad

Recipes coming soon……

Read Full Post »

Souffle Au Fromage

Souffle Au Fromage

Servings 4-6

Ingredients
60g butter
60g plain flour
6 eggs, separated
½ litre of milk
200g good quality gruyere cheese, grated
Nutmeg
Black Pepper
Salt

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Butter a large soufflé dish.

To make the roux, melt butter in a heavy bottom saucepan over low heat and add flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture foams.

Add cold milk in small amounts and stir with a wooden spoon or a whisk until the mixture is homogeneous and thickens.

Add cheese and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Remove pan from heat and stir in egg yolks.

In a glass bowl, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form – firm but not dry. With a large metal spoon gently add a small amount of egg white to the cheese mixture.

Pour remaining cheese mixture into egg whites and mix gently.

Pour into buttered soufflé dish and flatten top with the back of a spoon.

Bake on the centre shelf for 10 mins.

Turn oven down to 180 degrees celcius and continue to cook for another 25 to 30 minutes until well risen and golden brown.

Serve immediately.

Notes:
A large souffle dish is shown in the online video.

Recipe Courtesy of  SBS Food Safari

Other websites:

http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/3348/souffle-suissesse

http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/9553/souffle-au-fromage

http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/6120/awts-cheese-souffle-masterclass

http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/9425/double-baked-cheese-souffle

http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/4150/gruyere-omelette-souffles

Read Full Post »