Equipment
Ingredients
Ramekin Preparation
- 15 g unsalted butter, softened
- 15 g parmigiano-reggiano, finely grated
Souffle Base
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 30 g all-purpose flour
- 200 ml whole milk, warm
- 100 g roquefort cheese, crumbled
- 5 g dijon mustard
- 1 g ground nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1 g ground white pepper
- 3 egg yolks, room temperature
Meringue
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 g cream of tartar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 309 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbohydrates
- 10 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 590 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 203 mg
- Potassium
- 211 mg
- Calcium
- 292 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 21 mg
- Phosphorus
- 237 mg
- Zinc
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 234 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.08 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.46 mg
- Niacin
- 0.4 mg
- Folate
- 39 mcg
- Water
- 92 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Place the heavy baking sheet on the middle rack.
Brush the inside of the 4 ramekins with upward strokes of the softened butter. Coat completely with the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, tapping out the excess. Chill the coated ramekins in the refrigerator.
Melt the butter for the base in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute to form a pale roux without browning.
Gradually whisk in the warm whole milk until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens into a heavy bechamel, about 3 minutes.
Remove from heat. Vigorously whisk in the crumbled Roquefort cheese, Dijon mustard, nutmeg, and white pepper until the cheese melts into the residual heat. Whisk in the egg yolks one at a time.
In a clean glass or metal mixing bowl, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar to firm, glossy peaks. Do not overbeat to a dry or clumpy texture.
Briskly stir one-third of the whipped egg whites into the warm cheese base to lighten the heavy mixture.
Gently fold the remaining egg whites into the base using a silicone spatula. Use a cutting and lifting motion from the bottom to maintain as much trapped air as possible.
Divide the mixture evenly among the chilled ramekins. Run your thumb around the inside rim of each ramekin to create a shallow channel, which encourages an even, central rise.
Place the ramekins on the preheated baking sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes at 200°C (400°F) until puffed and deeply golden, reaching an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F) for safe egg consumption. Do not open the oven door during baking.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately, as the delicate structure will begin to naturally deflate within minutes of encountering room temperature.
Chef's Notes
- Ensure your egg whites are entirely free of yolk and at room temperature to achieve maximum volume and stability during whipping.
- Brushing the ramekins with upward strokes of butter creates a microscopic physical track for the batter to climb as expanding steam forces it upward.
- The dense bechamel base can be made up to two days in advance. Gently reheat it over a double boiler before folding in freshly whipped egg whites.
- Using a heavy baking sheet preheated in the oven delivers immediate, conductive bottom heat to the ramekins, jumpstarting the vertical rise.
Storage
Troubleshooting
Souffle collapsed immediately upon removal from oven
Cause: Underbaked interior lacking structural integrity or oven door was opened during baking, causing a sudden temperature drop.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Never open the oven door during the first 15 minutes of baking. Ensure oven is fully preheated.
Lopsided or slanted rise
Cause: Uneven butter coating in the ramekins or failure to run a thumb around the inner rim before baking.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always brush butter in perfectly vertical strokes and swipe the inner rim to create an isolated center.
Cultural Context
The souffle, originating in early 18th-century France, represents a triumph of culinary engineering where trapped steam expands in a rich custard. Incorporating a piquant blue cheese like Roquefort nods to the southern French region of Occitanie, balancing the ethereal texture with robust, ancient flavors. Historically served to aristocratic guests, the souffle remains a definitive test of a chef's timing, technique, and precision.
