Twice-Baked Gruyère Soufflés with Thyme Cream

⏱ 75 min · Serves 4

The dinner-party trick every cook should know: airy Gruyère soufflés baked once, turned out, then flooded with thyme cream and baked again until puffed, burnished and impossibly savoury. Best of all, the hard work happens hours ahead.

Per serving: 615 kcal · 24.0g protein · 15.0g carbs · 52.0g fat

Ingredients

• 40g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 3 tbsp finely grated Parmesan, for lining
• 40g plain flour
• 300ml whole milk
• 1 bay leaf
• 150g Gruyère, coarsely grated
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1 extra egg white
• Salt and white pepper
• 200ml double cream
• 2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
• 30g Gruyère, extra, for topping

Method

1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan. Butter 4 ramekins (200ml each) generously and coat with the Parmesan. Sit them in a deep roasting tin.
2. Warm the milk with the bay leaf until steaming, then remove the bay.
3. Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the hot milk to a thick, smooth sauce. Cook 2 minutes.
4. Off the heat, stir in the Gruyère, Dijon, nutmeg, salt and white pepper, then beat in the egg yolks. Cool 5 minutes.
5. Whisk the 4 egg whites with a pinch of salt to soft, floppy peaks. Fold a third into the cheese base to loosen, then fold in the rest lightly.
6. Divide between the ramekins. Pour boiling water into the tin to come halfway up and bake 20-22 minutes until risen and just set.
7. Cool 10 minutes (they will sink - that is meant to happen), then run a knife round and turn out onto a buttered baking dish. Chill up to 24 hours if making ahead.
8. To finish, heat oven to 200C/180C fan. Season the cream with thyme, salt and pepper and pour over and around the souffles. Scatter with the extra Gruyère.
9. Bake 15 minutes until puffed, golden and bubbling. Serve at once with a peppery leaf salad.