Souffle is a real Crowdie pleaser
COURGETTE AND CROWDIE SOUFFLES BY CARINA CONTINI BROUGHT up in a Scots-Italian family near Edinburgh, Carina Contini is passionate about food. Along with her husband Victor, Carina runs Cannonball Restaurant & Bar in Edinburgh. Her first book, Carina Contini’s Kitchen Garden Cookbook, was published in April 2014.
The dramatic height of a premier souffle is hard to master but the impact these little beauties have is based on flavour. Cooking them in a bain-marie means they won’t rise as much but neither will they collapse as much, so it’s a win-win situation. Serves6 Ingredients 50g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing 500g courgettes Salt 50g plain flour ½ nutmeg, freshly grated 150ml full-fat milk Freshly ground white pepper 3 eggs, separated 100g Crowdie, or a fresh young goat’s cheese
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/ Gas 4 and grease 6 individual 150ml ramekins. Coarsely grate the courgettes and leave in a colander in the sink with a generous pinch of salt.
2. Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat, then add the flour and nutmeg. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes, then add the milk.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the mixture has thickened, stirring with a balloon whisk to help prevent lumps forming. Add the egg yolks and beat until smooth.
4. With the heat very low, add the Crowdie or goat’s cheese and beat again until smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat. Squeeze any excess moisture from the courgettes and add to the mixture.
5. Beat the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until very stiff then gently fold into the mixture. Divide between the greased ramekins and set in a bainmarie. Bake for about 25 minutes in the preheated oven until light, risen and golden.
6. Serve immediately. In association with Taste Communications.