ANTONIA’S DOUBLEBAKED SMOKED SALMON SOUFFLÉ WITH ROCKET, FENNEL AND CAPER SALAD

I created this recipe for Antonia to celebrate her love of France and French flavours, as a nod to her go-to dish at the Engine Room (their famous cheese soufflé), and because salmon is one of her favourite fishes! It may seem tricky to make, but it is super-straightforward, and as a dish for entertaining can be made the day before (or even weeks before and frozen), ready to whip out, and puff up to golden gorgeousness at the last minute. The rich flavour of the salmon is beautifully complemented by the fresh, zesty notes of the salad.

40 grams butter

1 large leek, trimmed, sliced

30ml white wine

1 small clove garlic, crushed

350ml cream sea salt and ground pepper

100 grams smoked salmon,

roughly chopped

¼ cup plain flour

1½ cups whole milk finely grated zest 1 lemon

1 cup firmly packed grated Gruyère cheese 4 free-range eggs, separated ROCKET, CAPER AND HERB SALAD 8 cups wild rocket

¼ cup soft dill or fennel tips 2 fennel bulbs, cored, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons capers, drained DRESSING 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon caster sugar sea salt and ground pepper

EQUIPMENT: Grease 6 x 1½ cup-capacity ramekins and line the bases with baking paper.

Melt 20 grams of the butter in a medium frying pan and add the leek, wine, garlic and 100ml of the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over a gentle/ medium heat for 10 minutes; remove the lid and cook for a further 15 minutes, or until the leek is soft and most of the liquid has reduced. Cool for 10 minutes then whizz in a food processor until smooth.

Stir through the smoked salmon so it is broken up. Heat the remaining 20 grams butter in a pot over a gentle heat, and whisk in the flour. Whisking continuously, pour in half of the milk with the lemon zest. Once it thickens, add the remaining milk and cook for a few minutes more, whisking until thick and smooth. Stir in ½ cup of the Gruyère, whisk well and remove from the heat. Whisk in the egg yolks, then combine with the leek and salmon purée, stirring to incorporate well. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 190°C.

Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt, to firm peaks. Add one-third of the egg whites to the leek and salmon mixture, folding it in to loosen the mixture slightly, then add the rest of the whites, folding in gently. Divide the mixture among the prepared ramekins and place in a small roasting dish. Pour very hot water into the baking dish, coming halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until the soufflés are risen and lightly golden. Don’t panic if they’re slightly one-sided or have exploded at the top – they will be fine. Remove the ramekins from the roasting dish and allow to cool for an hour; they will deflate and settle down. Once cool, run a small knife carefully around the inside of the ramekins to release the soufflés slightly, and tip out onto another roasting dish or individual ovenproof dishes. Store in the fridge until ready to finish and serve. The soufflés can be prepared to this point the day before serving and frozen once cool, to be defrosted before re-heating.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Sprinkle the soufflés with the remaining Gruyère and pour over the remaining cream. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the soufflés are lightly puffed and golden. Switch the heat source to grill for the last minute (watch them closely) to ensure a golden bubbling top.

DRESSING: Shake the ingredients together in a sealed jar.

SALAD: Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl with the dressing.

TO SERVE: Serve the soufflés warm with the salad on the side. SERVES 6