Gruyère and Bacon Soufflé

A Soufflé is a light and fluffy, sweet or savoury baked dish consisting of stiffly beaten egg whites folded into a sauce pr puree that has been thickened with egg yolks. Origin: A French noun use of the past participle of the verb, souffler, to blow or puff, from the Latin, sufflare, to breath on or blow on.

Ingredients:

500ml milk

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 tbsp olive oil

150g heavily cured bacon, finely chopped

65g butter, plus extra for greasing

55g plain flour

pinch English mustard powder

5 free-range eggs, separated

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp fresh chopped chives

To serve

300ml double cream

110g gruyère cheese, very finely grated

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C (convection mode) and generously grease six ramekins of 7cm x 4cm.

Place the milk in a saucepan, add the thyme, bay leaf and nutmeg, and bring to a simmer.

Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for a few minutes.

Heat a frying pan until hot, add the olive oil and bacon and cook until crisp. Remove and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour and mustard. Cook for a couple of minutes until a nutty aroma is released.

Strain the milk and add it to the saucepan containing the flour and mustard. Whisk continuously until thick, then beat in the egg yolks and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Allow to cool slightly.

Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until firm, adding a pinch of salt.

Add one-third of the egg white to the soufflé base mix and beat in. Stir in the chives and then carefully fold in the remaining egg whites. Spoon the mixture into the buttered ramekins and bake for 5-7 minutes, or until the tops begin to brown.

To serve, preheat the grill to high.

Warm the cream in a saucepan and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Increase the temperature and cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by one-third.

Add the crispy bacon and mix well, then add salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the cream into six serving bowls and turn the soufflés out onto the cream.

Cover the soufflés with the grated gruyère cheese and place under the grill. Once golden-brown and bubbling, remove from the grill and serve immediately.