Maman’s Cheese Soufflé by Jacques Pépin
A little while back, I came across the most charming video of Jacques Pépin with Kristen Milgore demonstrating his mother’s easy cheese soufflé recipe. Their camaraderie was endearing, the unstuffy homey cooking style was refreshing, the rustic soufflé was mouthwatering…and they enjoyed the finished product with a tumbler of chilled white wine. I simply could not, not try it!
Jacques tells the story of Maman’s Cheese Soufflé:
“When my mother got married, she was 17 and my father was 22. She did not know how to cook, except for a few simple dishes that she had learned from her mother. Yet she was willing and fearless.
My father liked cheese soufflé, so my mother graciously obliged. She had never made a soufflé before, but a friend told her that it consisted of a white sauce (bechamel), grated cheese and eggs — a cinch!
To the bechamel, that staple of the French home cook, she added her grated Swiss cheese and then cracked and added one egg after another to the mixture, stirred it well, poured it into a gratin dish, and baked it in the oven.
Viola! No one had told her that the eggs should be separated, with the yolks added to the base sauce and the whites whipped to a firm consistency and then gently folded into the mixture.
Ignorance is bliss, and in this case it was indeed: The soufflé rose to a golden height and become a family favorite. This is a great recipe; it can be assembled hours or even a day ahead, and although it is slightly less airy than a standard soufflé, it is delicious.”