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110g Peppered or Strong Goats Cheese

1 dessertspoon of fresh chives

225ml milk

1 small onion cut in half

1 bay leaf

A generous grating of fresh nutmeg

A few whole peppercorns

25g butter

25g self raising flour

2 large eggs and one extra white

Freshly grated parmesan

 

Place the milk, onion, peppercorns and bay into a pan and bring slowly to the simmer. Strain into a jug and put to the side.

Wash and dry out the saucepan and melt the butter, and then add the flour off the heat. Cook the flour butter mixture for one minute until it makes a glossy paste. Little by little add the flour, ensuring that there are no lumps. Initially the mixture will turn very thick , before  becoming liquid as all the milk is added.

Let the sauce barely bubble and then thicken. Leave on the lowest head for 2 minutes, stirring all the time.

Take the sauce off the head and add the chives, and gradually the egg yolks.. Then add the cheese and mix thoroughly.

While the mixture is cooling, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Take a heaped spoonful  of eggwhite and mix into the cheese mixture. Then fold in the rest of the eggwhite softly and slowly taking care not to break down the eggs or lose the air.

Divide the mixture into 4 straight edged buttered ramekins. ideally ones with a slight rim. Pour about an inch of boiling water into the base of the roasting tin which contains the ramekins to act as a bain-marie.

Place the raosting tin in the middle of the oven at 180° for 15 minutes, or until the soufflés are well risen and light golden brown on top.

Remove for the oven. Eat straight away or leave to cool. Slide a sharp knife round the edge of the ramekin dishes and remove the souffle gently from the ramekin, turn upside down and place on baking paper on a shallow baking tray. Keep it apart from its neighbour.

15 minutes before you want to eat them place into a preheated oven at 180° and rebake for 15 minutes until well risen again and golden.

Using a metal spatula slide from the tray and onto a plate decorated with Mache and Roquette, a slice or two of fig, and drizzled with fig vinaigrette and parmesan shavings.

Serve immediately as they will sink almost straight away.

Enjoy!