This is a special and favorite recipe for Sunday brunches with friends and family, accompanied very often with smoked salmon and bagels. It is also a great recipe served for lunch with a tricolor salad gently dressed with a light vinaigrette.
Directions
- Butter one large 9-inch round soufflé dish or 5–6 individual 6-ounce ramekins, then coat the surfaces with the grated Parmesan cheese.
- Melt the butter and add the flour to make a roux, cooking on low heat for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Heat the half and half and whole milk until just about to boil, then remove from heat.
- Add the roux to the milk mixture, stirring until very smooth.
- Place in a double boiler for 30–45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes as the mixture thickens. Add salt, pepper and thyme to taste. Let cool a bit before adding the next ingredients.
- Add the egg yolks and 12 ounces of the crumbled chèvre to the mixture.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Beat the egg whites until very stiff.
- Gently fold the stiffly beaten whites into the egg and cheese mixture.
- Pour into the soufflé dish, almost reaching the top.
- Gently place the remaining crumbled chèvre on top.
- Bake until the soufflé rises and turns golden brown, about 25–30 minutes. The top will be brown and the inside smooth and creamy.
- Serve immediately!
℞ M.D. Notes
- Bucheron is from France. It is aged 5 to 10 weeks, feels moderately soft and has a strong flavor. Like many goat cheeses, it is shaped into a log ("bûcheron" means "logger").
- People who are lactose intolerant are sometimes able to tolerate goat cheese even if they have problems digesting cheese made from cow's milk. The levels of lactose are similar; the difference is that the fat molecules (medium-chain fatty acids) in goat cheese are shorter, making them easier to digest. People without lactose intolerance will very often find goat cheese easier to digest compared to cow's milk dairy products.
- Goat cheese is a good source of calcium, protein, vitamin A, vitamin K, phosphorus, niacin and thiamin.
