Cheese Soufflé Inspired By Jenny Costa

Jenny chose her mum's cheese soufflé as one of her Desert Island Dishes. She was talking about it with such affection and a kind of awe that I slightly misread the situation and piped up with an exclamation of how soufflés are much easier to make than people think. This was not actually what Jenny wanted to hear, because as with a lot of memories, this one had little to do with the soufflés themselves and everything to do with the fact her mum made them for her. And that's what I love about Desert Island Dishes so much.

That being said, a cheese soufflé is a delicious thing and I'm excited to share this recipe with you. I think the soufflé has a real mystique and awe about it. Yes you absolutely must get them to the table quickly once you've brought them out of the oven. But beyond that? They really are simple, and hard to mess up. The even better news? If, for some unexplained reason they do go wrong, they still taste great. And you can use a little trick of mine if they fail to rise...just screech, yelling like a banshee that they are sinking as you run, flustered to the table, and exclaim a lot (a lot a lot) about how positively fabulous they looked as you took them from the oven. You're welcome.

We have a little thing in our house. That as soon as it's announced that the food is ready, one particular family member decides it's a good time to go to the loo. I won't name and shame him here, but he knows who he is. If you too have one of these, make sure you get a firm grip on their elbow and tell them you are making soufflés. Much better that everyone is waiting at the table a few minutes longer than you having to usher people to the table where lies some deflated, yet once fabulous soufflés.

So really, they are simple. All you do is make a thick white sauce. Add some cheese. Separate the eggs and whisk the egg whites. Failing to whisk the egg whites sufficiently will mean you don't get a good rise on the old soufflé, and for goodness sake be gentle when you fold the mixtures together. I have whisked by hand and I have whisked by machine. I am a sloth like creature and the elbow grease required in hand whisking is not really for me, but you do as you wish. As long as the egg whites are whisked sufficiently, it's fine by me.

I love all soufflés. A great chocolate one is a thing of beauty, I've had a rhubarb and custard one which was delicious, and pistachio ones are pretty hard to beat. However, whilst a sweet soufflé does have something of the show offs about them, not so with a savoury one. They make for perfect Sunday night suppers. Serve only with a crunchy green salad with a tangy vinaigrette and you've whipped up a feast. A feast that mainly used up store cupboard ingredients and that left over block of cheese you found at the back of the fridge Bridget Jones style.