Ham and Cheese Souffle

By cprzybyl

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 1⁄2 cups milk
• 4 oz. grated sharp white cheddar
• 1 ⁄2 tsp. mustard powder
• 1 ⁄8 tsp. cayenne
• 1 ⁄8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 6 eggs, separated
• Kosher salt and freshly ground
• 
 black pepper, to taste
• 4 oz. finely chopped ham
• 
 (any variety will do)
• 1 1⁄2 tbsp. finely chopped chives
• 1 ⁄4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from saveur.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a 2-qt. saucepan, melt 2 tbsp. of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallots; cook until soft, 12 minutes. Whisk in the flour to make a smooth paste; slowly add the milk while whisking. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in the cheddar, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg, egg yolks, and salt and pepper. Stir over medium heat until just steaming, 34 minutes. Transfer the cheese mixture to a large bowl; stir in ham and chives; chill for 30 minutes.


2. Heat oven to 375. Grease six 8-oz. ramekins with the remaining butter. Coat the bottom and sides of ramekins with Parmesan; shake out any excess. In a large bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Working in 3 batches, fold egg whites into the chilled cheese mixture to make a fluffy batter. Gently divide the batter between prepared ramekins and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. With a damp cloth, wipe away any of the soufflatter that's splashed onto the ramekin rims. Bake until golden brown and puffed, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.