Stilton Soufflé Recipes

STILTON SOUFFLé

Steps:

• Make a foil collar for a 4-cup soufflé dish to extend an inch above the rim. Grease inside of dish and foil with 1 tablespoon butter. Dust with bread crumbs.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt the remaining butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Sauté celery until tender but not brown. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
• In a small saucepan, heat the milk until steam rises. Whisk it into the celery and cook over medium heat until it becomes a thick sauce, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks one at a time.
• In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt to soft peaks. Fold a spoonful of the whites into the sauce. Fold in the cheese, and then the remaining whites. Pour into the prepared dish, place in the oven, lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake until the soufflé has risen, and the top is brown and wiggles a bit, about 35 minutes. Remove the collar and serve immediately. Serves 4. Recipes adapted from Florence Fabricant.

DOUBLE BAKED STILTON AND CORN SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter and flour 1 large souffle dish or 4 to 6 individual ones with an 8 to 12 ounce capacity.
• Heat the milk in a saucepan over low heat. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the flour, whisking until smooth and creamy. Cook about 3 minutes, until the mixture turns straw colored. Whisking, pour in the hot milk, and whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the cheeses, 4 egg yolks, corn, and mustard. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside to cool 5 minutes. Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form, and then fold into the souffle mixture in thirds with a rubber spatula.
• Pour the mixture into the souffle dish or dishes, and then place them in a roasting pan. Pour hot water into the pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake 25 to 35 minutes for individual souffles, 35 to 45 minutes for large ones, until risen and slightly firmed. Serve immediately or let the souffles cool in the dish, then turn out, cover, and refrigerate. (The dish can be made up to this point up to 24 hours in advance.)
• If made ahead of time: to serve, arrange the turned out souffles in a baking dish, poke a hole in the top and pour a little heavy cream inside, then drizzle a little heavy cream over the top of each souffle, and bake at 400 degrees until hot and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
• Notes about the recipe: When I agreed to go to England to revitalize the flagging cuisine at Stapleford Park, a hotel owned by our friend Bob Payton, I had no idea what to expect. But having heard all the jokes about English cooking, I did wonder if they would like my food. As soon as I arrived in Melton Mowbray, a town dedicated to making strong, creamy Stilton cheese, we knew everything would be fine. The entire town of Melton Mowbray smells of Stilton, especially the fine cheeses of the firm of Tuxford & Tebbutt that may be what inspired me to cook with it so often, creating new lunch and supper dishes like this one. The richness of the local agricultural traditions quickly impressed me: the milk, butter, eggs, lamb, and vegetables were just as perfect and flavorful as the Stilton cheese. According to legend, Stilton was invented by a Mrs. Paulet in the 1700s. The cheese must be cylindrical, must ripen without ever being pressed, and must form its own coat or crust. Red Leicester, a vibrant orange, crumbly aged cheddar-style cheese, furthered our education in the best products of English kitchens. More words and warnings have been devoted to the making of souffles than any other cooking subject, but this one doesn't rise perilously high. An airy egg batter, fresh milk, and butter, savory cheese and, in this case, sweet corn kernels and a dash of mustard produce irresistible results. If you want to make your souffles even more luxurious, follow the reheating instructions by pouring a dollop of heavy cream inside each one for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

STILTON SOUFFLE OMELETTE

Steps:

• First pre-heat the grill, then put the frying pan on to a medium heat. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and leave them on one side while you beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl and season them well. Now melt the butter in the hot pan, being careful not to let it burn, then quickly fold the egg yolks and half of the Stilton, plus the chives, into the egg whites. When the butter is foaming, pour the mixture into the pan, shaking the pan to make sure the mixture is evenly distributed - don't be tempted to stir it, though, or you will knock the air out of it. Cook the omelette for about 1 minute and then slide a palette knife around the edge to loosen it from the pan. Now scatter the remaining cheese all over the surface, then place the pan under the grill, 4 inches (10 cm) from the heat, and let the surface cook for about 1 minute, until it is lightly tinged brown and the cheese is melting. Then remove the pan from the grill and, using the palette knife, carefully loosen the edges, fold one half of the omelette over the other, slide it out on to a heated plate and serve immediately. You can also watch how to make omelettes in our Cookery School Video on this page

TWICE BAKED STILTON SOUFFLÉ

Steps:

• Bring the milk to a boil with the bay leaf, nutmeg and onion. Strain and allow to cool. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. In a medium saucepan off the stove, make a white sauce by mixing together the oil, flour and cooled milk. Then cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until thickened and smooth (will have lumps at first, but keep stirring). Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, carefully to the mixture. Beat well all the time so that the eggs do not curdle. Add the Stilton to the mixture, stir, and then add the parmesan. Season to taste (almost overseason) with salt, pepper and cayenne. Stiffly beat the egg whites. Fold in one quarter of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture to 'slacken' it and then fold in the rest - being careful not to overmix. Pour almost 1 cup of mixture into 4 (2-cup) ramekins that have been well-buttered (parchment paper on the bottom). Place the ramekins in a large baking tray and pour about 3/4'' boiling water around them, then place the tray on the middle shelf in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. When almost cold, run a knife around the edge of each ramekin and drop the soufflés into our hand. Place each on a small baking dish. If not to be eaten soon, cover and refrigerate or freeze. When ready to eat, pour the cream around the base of the still cold or frozen soufflés and place in a pre-heated oven (350F/180C) for about 25 minutes until browned and well risen. Serve immediately.