60 g butter, plus extra for greasing
1 large leek, white part only, finely chopped
60 g plain flour
325 ml warm milk
4 eggs, separated
100 g wensleydale cheese, crumbled *
250 ml double cream
Grated parmesan or cheddar
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C and lightly grease four ramekins with butter.
Heat the butter in a pan over medium-low heat and cook the leek for 3-5 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden. Slowly whisk in the milk and simmer, stirring, until thick. Leave to cool.
Stir in the egg yolks and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Gently stir in the wensleydale cheese. Beat the egg whites into firm peaks and then, using a metal spoon, gradually fold into the soufflé mixture. Spoon into the ramekins.
Sit the ramekins in a roasting tin and pour boiling water into the tin until it reaches halfway up the ramekins (this makes a bain-marie so that the soufflés cook gently).
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove the ramekins from the roasting tin and leave the soufflés to rest until cool.
Carefully turn out the soufflés into small gratin dishes, or other small ovenproof dishes. (You can refrigerate the soufflés at this point if you want to and then simply finish them off when you’re ready to serve.)
Pour a little cream over each soufflé so there is about 5mm cream in each dish. Sprinkle with parmesan or cheddar and return the soufflés to the oven for 10-12 minutes until they are bubbling and golden brown.
* you can use a really good Cheddar, even I couldn't find wensleydale!
