Easy courgette soufflé

Soufflés are always a labour of love, and so is this one, but it’s a little bit more relaxed than usual: kitchen table rather than posh dinner, you don’t even need a soufflé dish. There’s no cheese involved and the courgette flavour really shines through.

Serves 2-4 INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon oil 3-4 spring onions, finely sliced 500g (1lb) courge es, grated 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped 50g (1¾oz) salted bu er 50g (1¾oz) flour 200ml (7fl oz) milk Freshly ground black, ground white and cayenne pepper 3 medium eggs, as fresh as possible, separated

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180C (fan oven) or equivalent.

You’ll need a 3 pint (1¾-litres) bu ered ovenproof dish and a large baking tin with sufficient warm water to come a quarter way up the dish.

Heat oil in a large pan and cook spring onions and courge es gently until soft. Add garlic towards the end.

Melt bu er in a heavy bo omed milk pan and stir in flour, off the heat. Gradually stir, and then whisk, in milk and return to heat. Bring to the boil gently, reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring or whisking throughout. Season and cool slightly.

Whisk in egg yolks and fold in courge e mixture.

Whisk egg whites with a clean whisk and fold into mixture.

Pour into prepared dish and cook for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and forming a crust and the underneath set, yet creamy; not unlike the consistency of thick Greek yoghurt.