- 2 small zucchinis (or one medium)
- 150 g emmental
- 40 g butter
- 40 g flour
- 40 cl milk
- 4 eggs
- nutmeg, salt, pepper
Grate the zucchini, also using the fine part of the grater. Sauté the grated zucchini to eliminate the water. Set aside.
Melt 40 g of butter in a pan. Add the flour and stir to make a smooth paste. Add the milk, little by little, stirring constantly. Cook this for 6 - 7 minutes until it thickens. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
Mix in the cheese and the sautéd zuccini into the béchamel, and remove from heat.
Butter a soufflé mold (22 cm diameter) and preheat your oven to 200° celcius.
Separate the yokes from the whites of the 4 eggs. Add the yokes into the béchamel, cheese and zucchini mixture when it is cool.
Whip the egg whites until very stiff, adding a pinch of salt. Gently mix this into the béchamel mixture, taking care to not stir too hard so that you maintain a maximum of airiness and fluffiness.
Pour the batter into the buttered mold, but no higher than 3/4 full (you can use individual ramequins for any left over and bake them when the main soufflé is done - baking time for individual portions is about 15 - 20 minutes).
Put into the oven at mid height. Bake for 30 minutes. DO NOT open the oven door while the soufflé is baking.
Serve immediately after removing from the oven. As the Larousse warns, "a soufflé never waits".
(serves 4)
Further handy hints:
- the Larousse recommends using porcelain molds rather than glass. They say that the porcelaine heats faster.
- If you are making a "plain" cheese souffé, you may want to use a stronger cheese. Gruyère, fribourg, appenzell, comté or beaufort will all do nicely. Alternatively you may want to try using a blue, such as a roquefort. Use less salt if using any of the above.
