Comté Cheese and Hazelnut Soufflé
Delicious French soufflé that's easy, cheesy, fluffy, and nutty
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- Softened butter for soufflé dishes
- 3 tbsp finely chopped, toasted hazelnuts + more for topping
- 120 g (½ cup) whole milk
- For steeping in milk: 1 bay leaf + ¼ tsp dried onion
- 170 g (⅔ cup) plain whole milk yogurt
- 1 ½ tbsp heavy cream
- 3 tbsp (45 g) butter
- 29 g (3 tbsp + 1 tsp) flour
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ⅛ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 egg yolks
- 6 egg whites
- 100 g (3.5 oz or 1 heaping cup) grated, aged comté cheese + more for topping (see note for other options)
Instructions
- Prep soufflé dishes: Generously butter 4 individual soufflé dishes (mine are 11.8 cm/4.6 inch diameter) or an 8x8 inch baking dish, and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts to help the soufflés not stick to their baking dish. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (390 °F) along with a tray large enough to hold all the soufflé dishes.
- Infuse the milk: Heat the milk very hot and put in the bay leaf and dried onion. Let steep for at least 15 minutes.
- Prep ingredients: Separate the eggs: 4 yolks in a small bowl and 6 whites in a large bowl. Mix the spices in a small bowl.
- Make the béchamel: In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat until frothy. Whisk in the flour. Let cook 2 minutes over low heat. Using a strainer, pour the warm milk through the strainer and into the pot (you want the infused milk, not the pieces), and immediately whisk the milk into your roux. Take off the heat, and whisk in the cream, salt, white pepper, and grated nutmeg. Vigorously whisk in the yogurt to get rid of any lumps, then then whisk in the 4 egg yolks, one at a time. Whisk the yolks immediately to avoid them setting. Stir in 100 g of the grated comté cheese.
- Whip, then fold in the egg whites: Using electric beaters, whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Stir about a quarter of the egg whites into the béchamel to soften up the mixture. Then, fold in the rest of the egg whites.
- Bake: Divide the soufflé batter between the prepared dishes. Sprinkle with a little chopped hazelnut and grated comté. Bake in oven on the preheated baking sheet for 25 minutes. The soufflés should be puffed, golden, and slightly wobbly in the center. Serve immediately.
Notes
If you can't find comté, other hard cheeses such as Swiss, gruyère, gouda, or cheddar will work. An aged/sharp cheese will give more flavor to your soufflé.