Soufflé au Fromage: Classic savory baked cheese soufflé

Preheat your oven to 200°C. Generously butter two 250ml soufflé ramekins and dust them lightly with a little flour or grated cheese. This helps the soufflé climb.

In a medium saucepan, melt 30g of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the all-purpose flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, to form a roux. Be careful not to let it brown.

Gradually whisk in the whole milk until the mixture is smooth and thickened, cooking for about 3-4 minutes to create a béchamel sauce. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Stir in 75g of the grated Gruyère cheese, the egg yolks, salt, black pepper, freshly grated nutmeg, and Dijon mustard until well combined and smooth. Set this mixture aside to cool slightly.

In a very clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with a tiny pinch of salt using an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. They should hold their shape when the whisk is lifted.

Gently fold one-third of the beaten egg whites into the cheese béchamel mixture to lighten it. Then, carefully fold in the remaining egg whites until just combined. The key is to be gentle to maintain the airiness.

Pour the soufflé mixture into the prepared ramekins, filling them about three-quarters full. Sprinkle the remaining 25g of Gruyère cheese on top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the soufflés are golden brown and dramatically risen. Do not open the oven door during the first 15 minutes of baking! Serve immediately, à la minute, directly from the oven.