Cheddar and Mustard Souffles

(Serves 8)

Please don't shy away from this simply because it is a souffle.  It is brilliantly easy and freezes so well you have definitely got to try it!

Ingredients:                                                          Preparation Time:  30 mins

140g (5oz) strong cheddar, grated                         

5 eggs                                                                     Oven Temperature: 180C (160C Fan/Gas mark 4)

50g (2oz) unsalted butter

grated Parmesan

50g (2oz) plain flour

2 rounded teaspoons of grainy mustard

300ml (1/2 pint semi-skimmed milk)

Salt

Boiling water

Method:

1. Grease 8 ramekins with butter and then use a fine grater to grate some Parmesan into each ramekin.  Tip and turn the ramekins to ensure a fine coating of cheese around each one.  
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan.
3. Add the flour, mustard and a pinch of salt and stir with a balloon whisk for a minute until combined well.
4. Pour in the milk, continually whisking, until you get a thick glossy sauce (picture above).
5. Remove from heat and stir in the grated cheddar, then put to the side.
6. Separate 4 of the eggs, putting the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another.  (Put the yolks in the larger of the mixing bowls as this is where all the mixture will eventually end up.)
7. Separate another egg, but ONLY use the white, tipping it into the rest of the egg whites.  (You can always use the left-over extra yolk in scrambled eggs or quiche.)
8. With the balloon whisk mix the cheesey sauce into the egg yolks, and season to taste.
9. Whisk the egg whites (use electric beaters for this; so much quicker!) until just forming peaks. 
10. Take a spoonful of the egg white and beat into the cheesey mixture, then gently fold the rest of the egg whites into the mixture with a large metal spoon.
11. Spoon the mixture into each ramekin and place inside a roasting tin.
12. Pull the oven shelf out slightly to be able to put the roasting tin on it, and then pour the boiled water into the tin so it comes about half to two-thirds of the way up the ramekins.
13. Cook until the souffles are browned and have risen well, then remove the ramekins from the roasting tin.  
14. Run a knife around the edge of each souffle to loosen it from the ramekin and then tip it out. As they are still hot at this point, I find the easiest way to do this is with a clean tea-towel, using an edge of the towel in one hand to pick up the ramekin and then turning it over into my other hand which has the other half of the tea towel across it, so that it falls into the tea towel. 
15. Once cooled they can be frozen, or popped into the fridge for two days until needed.
16. When it is time to cook them, (defrost if necessary) and pop into a buttered oven proof dish.
17. Grate a little more cheddar over the top to give a crunchy topping, and then bake at 220°C/425°F/gas mark 6 for 10 minutes until well risen.
18. Serve with a simple watercress salad and a Sherry Dijon dressing (recipe to be posted soon!)

Hints, Tips and Alternatives:

• Try using different cheeses and mustards, for example goats cheese and English mustard works well.  
• If using blue cheese, leave out the salt as this cheese tends to be salty anyway.
• We love these little handled ramekins which make removing them from the hot water so much easier.  We got them from The Perfect Present Company
• If you are too scared to turn out the souffles at stage 14, just leave them in their ramekins and continue the recipe!