Mark Dodson's Gruyère and spinach soufflé recipe is pure perfection. The rich, tangy flavour of the cheese adds plenty of depth, while the perfectly light texture offers melt in the mouth heaven. A great dinner party dish for all seasons.
To make the soufflé base, melt 25g of the butter in a suitable pan. Add the flour then add the milk a splash at a time, bringing back to the boil after each addition. Once smooth, season and leave to one side
Butter the ramekins with the remaining butter, which should now be soft. Use some of the grated Gruyère to dust the insides of the ramekins
15g of unsalted butter
4
Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until firm. Reheat the soufflé base then whisk the yolks into it – do not let the mixture boil at this point or the eggs will scramble. Gently reheat the spinach, if necessary
Half-fill the ramekins with the mixture, make a well in the centre and place the reheated spinach into it. Continue filling the ramekins and if possible, slightly dome the tops
8
Place them into a bain-marie and then into a preheated oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes, until the top has become golden. Gently place a disc of Gruyère onto the top of each soufflé
9
Cook for a further few minutes until nicely puffed up and cooked through, then serve immediately
Mark Dodson speaks the language of comfort food with Shakespearean fluency, turning perfectly formed elements into down-to-earth (but heavenly) compositions.
