This soufflé would make a great starter.
Ingredients
- 1 small onion (peeled and halved) 300ml/10fl oz full cream milk
- 300 ml double cream
- 1 bay leaf from the garden
- 75 g butter
- 40 g plain flour
- 5 large eggs free range cassidy’s,
- 2 large sprigs fresh thyme (leaves only and a few extra to garnish)
- 150 g soft, fresh goats' cheese (crumbled)
- 25 g hard sheeps' cheese (finely grated)
- salt
- 300 ml full cream milk
- for the salad:
- firm lettuce (such as romaine or tom thumb, separated into leaves)
- 2 tblsp rapeseed oil
- pinch chopped summer savory herbs or from your garden
- pinch of salt
Method
- Stud the onion halves with the and put them into a pan with the milk, cream, bay leaf. Bring to the boil then remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for 20 minutes.
- Strain the milk and cream through a fine sieve and discard the flavouring ingredients.
- Melt the butter in a non-stick pan, add the flour and cook over a medium heat for one minute. Gradually beat in the milk and cream and bring to the boil, stirring.
- Simmer very gently over a very low heat for ten minutes, giving it a stir every now and then. Pour into a mixing bowl and leave to cool slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). Separate the eggs and put the whites into a large mixing bowl.
- Mix the egg yolks into the sauce, then stir in half the thyme leaves, the crumbled fresh goats' cheese, the grated hard goats' cheese and ¾ teaspoon of salt.
- Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks and fold them into the mixture.
- Lightly butter 10 small medium soufflé dishes.
- Pour in the soufflé mixture and put into oven to bake, until the top is puffed up and golden but the centre is still soft and creamy.
- Meanwhile, prepare the salad dressing by whisking all the ingredients together. Turn the dressing through the leaves just before serving.
- Garnish the soufflé with a few thyme leaves and serve with the dressed green salad.
