Week Four, Day Two

Another week, it is a lot colder today, but at least the sun is still shining. I was productive yesterday, replenishing his stock of cake! He should be so lucky, never before have I made so much cake. The problem is I keep having clementines that are in the category, “Use them or Lose them”, and not wishing to lose them , clementine cake it is ( again. ) I have actually cooked and processed and frozen about 4 lots, which are now waiting for a future date with the oven. As I also had some lemons, which were crying out to be used, this became a Clementine and Lemon cake, and I have just tried some and I like it ( I’m not really a cake eater).

Tonight for dinner we are going to have a Cheese Soufflé, For this I use my favourite cheese, which is Abondance. This I bring back from France where it is considerably cheaper than here, €16 a kilo or £39 in the Cheese Shop in Marylebone. Cheese freezes on the whole fairly well, so at the end of each summer I bring some back and freeze it.

A cheese soufflé is very easy to make, and although every recipe says a soufflé dish, there are several substitutes that can be used. a Ceramic or Le Creuset casserole or, if it is not too big, a pyrex round casserole, so before rushing out and buying a special dish try using something that you already have first, and then if you like soufflé, by all means go and buy the real McCoy.

100 grms butter

2 tabs corn starch
1 tsp english mustard powder ( I now this sounds a lot but you really do need it)
300 ml milk
200 grms of a strong cheese of your choice, grated
6 Large eggs, separated, whites whisked until stiff

Heat the oven to 200 C /180C fan or Gas 6.

Grease your soufflé dish.

Melt the butter in the microwave , when melted add the cornstarch ( flour), mustard and milk, mix well and return to microwave for a couple of minutes, stir again and then again until the mixture is very thick. ( if it goes lumpy, just beat with a whisk). Stir in the cheese and then the egg yolks.

Carefully stir the egg whites into the cheese mixture until thoroughly mixed in, spoon into the dish and bake in the middle shelf of the oven for about 50 mins, until the top is golden brown.