PECORINO SOUFFLE WITH ROQUEFORT SAUCE

Serves 4 40g butter 1 tablespoon plain flour 1 cup milk 50g gruyere, grated 50g pecorino, grated 4 eggwhites 3 egg yolks, beaten 1 bunch English spinach, trimmed ¼ cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped chives, to garish ROQUEFORT SAUCE ¾ cup pure cream 100g Roquefort cheese, chopped* 75g parmesan, finely grated

Preheat oven to 160°C. Melt half of butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Brush four ½-cup capacity soufflé dishes or ovenproof ramekins with melted butter. Melt remaining butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until mixture bubbles. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly until well combined and mixture comes to a simmer. Remove from heat. Add gruyere and pecorino, and stir until cheeses melt and mixture is well combined. (You may need to return saucepan to a low heat to melt cheeses). Cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, whisk eggwhites and a pinch of salt in a clean, dry bowl until stiff peaks form. Transfer cheese mixture to a large bowl. Add egg yolks and mix until well combined. Using a large metal spoon, add half of eggwhite and fold until combined. Gently fold in remaining eggwhite. Pour soufflé mixture among prepared dishes. Place dishes in a roasting pan. Add enough hot water to pan to reach halfway up sides of soufflé dishes. Bake for 15 minutes or until light golden and risen. Meanwhile, to make Roquefort sauce, place cream in a small saucepan and bring to boil over a medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until reduced by half. Remove from heat. Add Roquefort and parmesan, and stir until cheese melts. Strain sauce through a fine sieve set over a bowl. Keep warm. Blanch spinach in a saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes or until wilted. Drain well. Arrange spinach leaves in centres of serving plates. Spoon a little sauce around spinach. Remove soufflés from dishes and arrange on spinach. Sprinkle with walnuts and garnish with chopped and whole chive leaves. Serve immediately. NOTE You can make these soufflés in advance and cool in the roasting pan. The soufflés will collapse, but will rise again when reheated. To reheat, place soufflé dishes in a roasting pan of hot water, then bake in oven preheated to 180°C for 15 minutes or until risen. *Available at specialty food stores and delicatessens. Substitute any good-quality blue cheese.

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