Directions: |
Directions:Coat inside of a 2-quart, straight-sided souffle dish or other deep 2-quart baking dish with the 2 teaspoons butter. Add bread crumbs and tilt dish to completely coat inside. Shake out loose crumbs.
Have only one rack in oven, in lowest position. Heat oven to 375º.
Separate eggs; whites in a dry, deep bowl and 4 of the yolks (you won't need the 5th) into a small dish.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a 1 1/2 quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat. Add flour and stir with a whisk 2 to 3 minutes until smooth, frothy, and very pale gold. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk in milk.
Put pan over medium heat and whisk constantly until sauce is smooth, thickened, and boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, whisking often.
Remove from heat. Keep whisking while dropping in yolks, one at a time. Stir in cheese, salt, and red pepper.
Whisk over low about 1 minute, just until cheese has melted and sauce is smooth. Do not simmer or boil.
Add cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat with electric mixer at high speed. (Move hand-held beater around the bowl. With stand mixer, frequently push whites from edges toward beaters). Beat just until stiff, shiny peaks form when beaters are lifted.
With a rubber spatula, stir about 1/3 of whites into sauce until blended. Add sauce mixture to whites remaining in bowl. Gently stir (fold) together. (Don't overmix; some egg white may remain.)
Scrape mixture into prepared souffle dish and smooth top with a spatula. To give souffle a classic "top-hat" look, use a knife to draw a 1/2-inch-deep circle 1" from edge. (Can be prepared 1/2 hour ahead up to this point.)
Bake in middle of oven rack 30 to 35 minutes without opening oven door for first 25 minutes. To test, shake souffle gently. It's done when the center is no longer wobbly. |
This recipe for Up-Up-and-Away Cheese Souffle is from