Twice Baked Cheese and Garlic Souffles

Preheat the oven to 200oC.

Lightly grease the ramekins with butter and dust the insides with the parmesan.

Put the milk, bay leaf, garlic and peppercorns into a small saucepan and simmer until the garlic is soft. Strain the milk and discard the peppercorns and bay leaf. Mash the garlic and return to the milk. There should be 350 ml milk left. Top up with extra milk if necessary.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk a little at a time and whisk well to avoid any lumps. Season well and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes. The mixture will be very thick. Set aside to cool a little.

Beat in the egg yolks one at a time then add the crumbled goats’ cheese and the herbs.
Beat the egg whites to soft peaks and fold into the mix a third at a time. Spoon the soufflé into the ramekins. Flatten the surface and run your finger around the upper rim of the ramekin. This ensures an even rise.

Place the ramekins in a roasting dish lined with a cloth. Place the dish in the oven then pour in enough boiling water to come 2/3 of the way up the ramekins. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and firm to touch. Remove from the oven and lift the soufflés out of the water.

Cool then carefully remove them from the ramekins. Place on a plastic wrap lined tray, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. The soufflés can be refrigerated for two to three days.

To serve: Heat the oven to 180oC. Lightly brush individual baking dishes with a little butter. Place the soufflés in the dishes and pour the cream over each one. Top with the extra goats’ cheese and grated parmesan. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Serve immediately.

The soufflés can be served with any of the following: bitter green salad, olive tapenade, sun dried tomato pesto, or a fresh tomato sauce. Serves 6