Yield: 4 souffles
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
¼ cup plus 1tablespoon all-purpose flour
pinch nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 ¼ cups milk
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2/3 cup finely grated comte cheese or swiss (from 3 ounces cheese)
2/3 cup finely grated hoch ybrig cheese or gruyere cheese (from 3 ounces cheese)
3 eggs separated at room temperature
¼ cup finely grated parmigiano-reggiano (from about 1-ounce cheese)
pinch cream of tartar or salt
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 325F.
2. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat.
3. Whisk in the flour, nutmeg, and salt and continue whisking for 5 minutes, without browning.
4. Whisk in the milk and garlic until the mixture is uniformly thick. Continue to simmer over low heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture takes on the consistency of a pudding and forms ribbons when the whisk is lifted from the pan, approximately 10 minutes.
5. Stir in the Comte, Hoch Ybrig and Gruyere, Cook. Stirring until the cheese melts.
6. Remove the Pot from the heat, stir in the egg yolks one at a time, and transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl. Let cool to room temperature.
7. Using a pastry brush, butter the insides of six 6-ounce crocks, ramekins, or souffle dish with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
8. Use 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano-Reggiano to dust the inside of the crocks by putting some cheese into each crock, turning the crock on its side, rotating it in your hand until the cheeses adhere to the butter on all sides, then inverting the crock to pour out any cheese that hasn’t adhered.
9. Put the egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachments, add the cream of tartar, and whisk the whites until peaks have formed, stiffened, and hold their shape. (This can also be done with a whisk by hand). If the whites appear wet or watery, they are over whipped and will not cook properly and you should begin this step again with 3 new whites.
10. Mix One-quarter of the whipped whites into the cheese mixture, then fold in the remaining whites gently with a rubber spatula. Divide the mixture among the crocks, filling them three-quarters of the way up the sides, Sprinkle the tops of the crocks with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano. Lightly Shake the bottom of each crock to settle and even out the mixture.
11. Put the crocks on a sturdy cookie sheet or baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack of the oven until the tops are puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a souffle comes out clean, approximately 20 minutes. Remove the souffles from the oven and serve immediately.
Notes:
The reason Cream of Tartar is added to the whites: cream of tartar (or a pinch of salt or some lemon juice) added to whipped egg whites acts as a stabilizer, helping them maintain their shape. You can just use one cheese or you can substitute it with any other type of Alpine cheeses. Serve the souffles with a well-dressed salad for a light lunch or dinner. Hoch Ybri made is a classic Swiss mountain cheese patterned after Switzerland's famous Gruyère. Created in the 1980s, Hoch Ybrig is a fairly new cheese and is made in only one dairy.
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