Cheese Soufflé

An absolute classic, a Cheese Soufflé is a magic that’s created after mixing together flour, butter, milk, eggs, and cheese. Along with add-ons like breadcrumbs and mustard powder, the cheesy, indulgent dish is ready to eat. Alongside the savoury dish, there’s also a dessert option with a Chocolate Soufflé being equally popular.

Although it requires a few ingredients available in most kitchens, the Soufflé is a tricky recipe to get right. Many chefs spend years perfecting it. Every part of the process must be just right, from making sure not to over-whisk to ensuring the centre is the right amount of runny and seeing the egg whites form the perfect peaks.

The soufflé gets its name from the French word "soufflér", meaning to puff. This tricky recipe has distinctly French origins, a wonderland of modern gastronomy. It was first recorded by 1700s cook Vincent de la Chappelle, who also cooked for Madame de Pompadour. A century later, Antoine Beauvilliers notes how to make a soufflé in his 1814 L’Art du Cuisinier (The Art of the Cook). He says:

“Put in the size of an egg of good butter, a little nutmeg and the yolks of four fresh eggs, the white of which must be whipped apart as for biscuit; mix them by little and little into the puree though hot, mix all well, and pour it into a silver dish or paper mould, put it in the oven. When the soufflé is well risen, touch it lightly, if it resists a little it is enough; it must be served immediately, as it is apt to fall.”

The 1815 cookbook Le Pâtissier Royal Parisien by Marie-Antoine Carême also contains several pages on the art of making soufflés.

Over time, the popularity of soufflés grew, achieving almost mythical status—although there’s a long list of things that can go wrong, it’s a thrill to try and perfect, and something that every serious baker must eventually get right.