Twice-Baked Blue Cheese Soufflés
An ideal entertaining dish, these light and fluffy blue cheese soufflés can be made ahead and finished with a second bake, just before serving. They are a perfect way to showcase New Zealand blue cheese and support our local cheesemakers. Choose Mt Eliza Blue Monkey for rich, buttery and intense flavours, or Cartwheel Creamery Blue Rhapsody, which is mild and creamy with peppery tones.
Serves 4
60g Lewis Road Creamery salted butter, plus extra for greasing ramekins
1/3 cup 350ml full cream milk, warmed
125g blue cheese, such as or Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
4 eggs, separated
For serving:
200ml Lewis Road Creamery cream
50g finely grated
Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Thickly butter 4 x 300ml capacity ramekins (or use coffee cups, if necessary) and place in the refrigerator while preparing the soufflé mixture. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the flour and stir until smooth. Pour in the milk while stirring continuously until smooth and then cook gently for 3-4 minutes until thick. Next, stir in the cheese to melt and season to taste.
Cool for 5 minutes, then beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks hold their shape. Stir one-third of the egg whites into the cheese mixture before gently folding in remaining egg whites. Spoon mixture into prepared ramekins; smooth the surface of each. Place ramekins in a baking pan; then half-fill the pan with hot water. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and risen.
Once cooked, remove to cool for 10 minutes. Run a small knife around the inside edge of each; invert and turn out onto a tray lined with baking paper. Cover and refrigerate until required. Soufflés will keep refrigerated for up to 2 days but bring to room temperature before second baking.
To serve, heat the oven to 190ºC. Transfer soufflés to 4 individual, shallow oven dishes. Pour 50mls of cream over each soufflé and sprinkle each with 2 Tbsp of grated Parmigiano. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately.