Issue No. 25

Le Soufflé is considered a culinary masterpiece in France. The word soufflé comes from
souffler – to breathe or to puff, and this dish takes puffing to an art form!
The first time the recipe for a cheese soufflé was recorded was 1742 in Le Cuisine Modern
by Vincent La Chapelle (modern for those times of course!). La Chappelle was known to
cook for rich and wealthy clients, including Madame de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV.
Years later, Chef Marine-Antoine Carême, one of the first celebrity chefs, published “Le
Pâtissier Royal Parisien” published in 1815, contained several pages on the art of making
soufflés. It put the dish thoroughly on the gastronomic map of France and the world.
Ingredients
50g/½ cup/1.3 oz Butter, plus a little extra for greasing
25g/¼ cup/0.9 oz Breadcrumbs OR 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
50g/½ cup/1.03 oz Plain flour
1 teaspoon mustard powder
300ml Milk
4 medium eggs
100g/2/3 cup/4oz strong grated cheddar (blue cheese or goats cheese are good too
Salt and pepper to season