Twice-baked Roquefort Soufflés

Twice-baked Roquefort Soufflés

Another Delia special here, so you know two things: a) it's going to work, and b) it's going to taste delicious. These soufflés make a fantastic starter, especially if you're hosting a dinner party, because the first baking can be done the day before, meaning that you only have to shove them back in the oven for 30 minutes to puff up again before serving. The other thing that makes these so great is that, although a vegetarian dish, meat-lovers will be too busy stuffing their faces with hot creamy Roquefort to notice. Of course, if you don't like blue cheese, then move along, nothing to see here. I served this with watercress dressed in a walnut dressing (recipe can be found here) and cranberry sauce (basically because I'd made a job lot that afternoon), but I think a beetroot purée would work better. Serves 6.

Ingredients:
175g Roquefort
225ml milk
5mm onion slice
1 bay leaf
grating nutmeg
6 whole peppercorns
40g butter
40g plain flour
4 large egg, separated
150ml double cream
salt and black pepper


Method:
1. Heat the milk, onion, bay leaf, nutmeg and peppercorns in a medium-sized saucepan until simmering point, then strain the milk into a jug. Rinse out the saucepan, then melt the butter in it.
2. Add the flour and stir to a smooth, glossy paste, and cook for 3 minutes, still stirring, until it turns a pale straw colour. Then gradually add the strained milk, whisking all the time, until the sauce is thick and cleanly leaves the sides of the pan.
3. Season lightly and cook the sauce on the gentlest heat possible for 2 minutes, stirring now and then. Next remove the pan from the heat and let it cool slightly, then beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Now crumble 110g of the cheese into the mixture and stir until most of it has melted. Put a kettle on to boil and, in a spanking-clean large bowl, whisk the egg whites to the soft-peak stage, then fold a spoonful of egg white into the cheese sauce to loosen it. Now fold the sauce into the egg white using a large metal spoon and a cutting and folding motion. Divide the mixture equally between 6 lightly buttered ramekins.
4. Put them in the baking tin, place it on the centre shelf of the oven, then pour about 1cm of boiling water into the tin. Bake the soufflés for 20 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack (using a fish slice) so they don't continue cooking. Don't worry if they sink a little as they cool, because they will rise up again in the second cooking. When they are almost cold, run a small palette knife around the edge of each ramekin and carefully turn the soufflés out on to the palm of your hand, then place them the right way up on a lightly greased, shallow baking tray. They can now be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours, lightly covered with clingfilm.
5. When you are ready to reheat the soufflés, preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4 and remove the soufflés from the fridge so they can return to room temperature. Dice the remaining Roquefort into 5mm pieces and sprinkle it on top of the soufflés, then place them in the oven, on the shelf above centre, for 30 minutes. Then, 2 or 3 minutes before serving, spoon a tablespoon of cream over each soufflé and return them to the oven while you seat your guests.