Towering Comté Soufflé with Nutmeg and Brown Butter Crumb

⏱ 70 min · Serves 4

A proud, wobbling cloud of a soufflé built on a thick nutmeg-scented béchamel and a generous heap of aged Comté. The dish is buttered and lined with a brown-butter breadcrumb crust, so you get a savoury crackle against the airy, custardy centre. Pull it from the oven, carry it straight to the table and break the top with a spoon while it still sighs.

Per serving: 517 kcal · 26.0g protein · 19.0g carbs · 38.0g fat

Ingredients

• 50 g unsalted butter, plus 20 g extra for the dish
• 3 tbsp fine dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan or extra Comté
• 40 g plain flour
• 300 ml whole milk
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 4 large egg yolks
• 5 large egg whites (at room temperature)
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (or a squeeze of lemon juice)
• 160 g Comté, coarsely grated (aged 12–18 months)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Melt the extra 20 g butter and brush a 1.5 litre soufflé dish thoroughly, brushing in upward strokes so the mixture can climb. Mix the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan and tumble around the dish to coat the base and sides; tip out the excess. Chill the dish while you work.
2. Melt the 50 g butter in a saucepan over medium heat and let it foam and just begin to smell nutty. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes to a pale blond roux.
3. Pour in the milk in three additions, whisking hard each time until smooth. Simmer 2–3 minutes until very thick, like stiff custard. Off the heat, stir in the nutmeg, salt, cayenne, Dijon and plenty of black pepper.
4. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then the grated Comté, until glossy and melted. Scrape into a large bowl and leave to cool to just warm, about 10 minutes. Taste and season assertively — it should be slightly too salty at this stage.
5. Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar to firm but not dry peaks: they should hold a curling tip, with no dry patches.
6. Whisk a third of the whites into the cheese base to loosen it. Fold in the rest in two additions with a large spatula, cutting down through the middle and sweeping up the sides, stopping while a few streaks remain.
7. Pour into the chilled dish, level the top gently, then run your thumb around the inside rim to make a shallow moat — this helps it rise straight.
8. Bake on a low shelf for 28–32 minutes, without opening the door for the first 20 minutes. It is ready when puffed 4–5 cm above the rim, deeply golden, and with only the faintest wobble at the centre.
9. Serve immediately, straight from the dish, with a peppery green salad dressed in walnut oil and sharp vinegar.