In my experience, there are few dishes that impress dinner guests more than soufflé. The elegant rise and fall. The way their crunchy tops give in to soft, melted middles. There’s just something magical about this classic French dish.
Only most people, myself included at one point, get nervous at the idea of preparing soufflé, fearful that it will collapse in the oven at the slightest move or change of temperature. It’s true, by their very nature, soufflés fall when they are removed from heat. But with a good recipe and some simple tweaks, you can get those beautiful puffed up mountains of egg and cheese from oven to table with ease. And, you have my word: the closing of the oven door will not make them collapse!
Here, I’ve made a ham and cheese soufflé with nutty gruyère and parmesan cheese, smoked ham, and warming spices like nutmeg and cayenne pepper. I’ve included fresh thyme leaves for a bit of earthiness but you could substitute thyme for any herb you have on hand – finely chopped chives or tarragon would be wonderful. Rather than serve the soufflé in one large dish, I’ve provided instructions for serving in small, individual-sized ramekins. This allows each dinner guest to enjoy in the childlike fun that comes with “popping” the soufflé and also allows the host to serve the dish as either an appetizer course or a main course alongside a simple green salad.
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