Pepper jack cheese gives classic souffle a hint of heat
I am obsessed with souffles. I have been known to whip one up whether I am feeling blue or in a celebratory mood.
Who doesn’t like a comforting spoonful of puffed eggs laced with cheese?
Last year my husband and I went to Paris to relive our souffle-loving time there several years before. As serious Francophiles, we focused on a search of restaurants that feature souffles. If you are ever in Paris it is recommended that you high-tail it over to Recamier, just down the street from Le Bon Marche. There, you may enjoy the best savory and dessert souffles possibly anywhere.
When we returned home, I kept experimenting with different combinations. I found switching out the classic French cheeses for a snappy pepper jack cheese created a spicy combination. It’s a taste of Mexican flavor in a French classic.
This recipe is basically a simple white sauce enriched with egg yolk and grated pepper jack cheese. Stiff egg whites are folded right into the mixture. Remember to fold the egg whites carefully into the sauce to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.
Souffles couldn’t be easier to put together. The secret to success is that your timing is just right, so plan ahead and figure out what you might be serving, like a salad or soup, and time the souffle to go into the oven as you sit down for your first course. Be aware that you can wait for the souffle, but the souffle waits for no one. You don’t want to serve a deflated souffle.
You can add crisp bacon pieces, thin cooked vermicelli noodles, corn kernels or chopped spinach for extra pizzazz. Make sure to add it to the sauce before you fold in the egg whites.