I took a two-hour train ride from Paris to Beaune, a town is situated in the wine-making region of Burgundy. I made the weekend trip to take a day-long cooking class at The Cooks Atelier. The charming school is run by mother-daughter team Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini. There’s a wine shop on the ground floor, kitchen on the second and dining area on the third. It’s a truly idyllic place and I had so much fun prepping and eating a menu of French classics. One of my favorite dishes was the comforting, savory cheese soufflé.
*This post contains affiliate links.
In the book, the cheese soufflé incorporates the spring season’s green garlic but as mentioned in the headnote below, you can swap for other flavorings, or keep it a classic with the béchamel. You can either bake one giant cheese soufflé in a large soufflé dish / ramekin or in individual copper saucepans. I also love these ceramic mini cocottes that are the exact size for this recipe. I have them in lapis and flame.
Green Garlic Soufflé
From The Cooks Atelier Cookbook
Serves 8
Our savory soufflé begins with a béchamel base and is inspired by Julia Child. The base can be adapted using a variety of ingredients as flavorings. In the springtime, we like to infuse the milk with fresh green garlic, ramps, or even a bouquet garni before preparing the béchamel.
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons (30 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
11⁄4 cups (300 ml) whole milk
8 stalks young, green garlic, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the mold
1⁄4 cup (30 g) unbleached all- purpose flour
1⁄2 teaspoon fleur de sel
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large egg yolks
3⁄4 cup (85 g) coarsely grated Comté or Gruyère cheese
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon dry mustard (optional)
7 large egg whites
Directions:
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Butter the inside of a 6-cup (1.4-L) souffle mold or eight individual 1-cup (240-ml) ramekins. Sprinkle the inside of the mold(s) with some of the Parmesan, reserving any excess. Set aside.
In a saucepan, combine the milk and green garlic. Place over medium heat and bring to just under a boil. Remove from the heat and steep for about 15 minutes to infuse the garlic into the milk. When ready to prepare the soufflé, bring the milk back to just under a boil, then strain out and discard the garlic.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir briskly with a wooden spoon until the butter and flour come together, being careful not to let the mixture brown, about 1 minute. Add the hot milk, all at once, and whisk to blend well. Add the salt and pepper, whisking continuously, until the béchamel becomes thick, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the egg yolks, one at a time, until incorporated. Add the Comté, nutmeg, and dry mustard (if using) and stir until fully combined. Transfer the soufflé base to a large bowl and let cool slightly.
In a large, very clean, preferably copper bowl, use a large balloon whisk to beat the egg whites until firm peaks form. Stir a large spoonful of the whipped egg whites into the base to begin lightening it. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining egg whites, working quickly to keep the base light and airy.
Pour the finished mixture into the prepared mold(s), filling it just below the top rim. Sprinkle the top with the remaining Parmesan. Bake on the middle rack of the oven until the top is golden brown and lifted about 2 inches (5 cm) over the edge of the mold, 25 to 30 minutes (15 to 18 minutes for the ramekins). Do not be tempted to open the oven during baking or the soufflé will fall. Serve immediately.
Re-printed with permission from The Cook’s Atelier: Recipes, Techniques, and Stories from Our French Cooking School (Abrams Books, 2018). Also, be sure to check out their latest book French at Heart: Recipes That Bring France Home.