Green garlic and cheese souffles - country living

4 souffles

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2½ tablespoon Unsalted butter
½ cup Plus 2 T thinly sliced young garlic plants, white to pale-green parts only
⅛ teaspoon Salt
1 pinch Ground black pepper
¼ cup Plus 2 T water
¼ teaspoon White-wine vinegar
½ cup Milk
1½ tablespoon All-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon Chopped fresh thyme
¼ cup Plus 2 T finely grated Gruyere cheese
2½ tablespoon Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Additional butter for ramekins
2 Large eggs, separated

Directions

1. In 2-quart saucepan, melt ½ tablespoon butter. Add garlic, salt, pepper, water, and vinegar. Heat to simmering over low heat; cover and cook 10 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium, and cook 4 to 5 more minutes or until all water evaporates. Add milk and heat just until bubbles form at edge of pan. Transfer mixture to blender and puree for 1 minute.

2. In 1-quart saucepan, melt remaining 2 T butter over low heat. Add flour and thyme and stir until all lumps disappear and mixture is evenly combined. Stir in garlic puree little by little until mixture is smooth and thick. Make sure to stir flour along bottom edge of pan. Transfer mixture to 1-quart bowl. Add Gruyere and 1 T of Parmesan and mix well. Let mixture cool 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, lightly butter four 4-oz ramekins; dust with 1 T Parmesan in all. Heat oven to 450'F.

4. In clean bowl, beat egg whites until firm but not stiff peaks form. Stir egg yolks into cool garlic mixture. Fold half of egg whites into garlic mixture, then fold in other half. (Mixture need not be uniformly combined.) Work quickly and keep light and fluffy.

5. Divide souffle mixture among prepared ramekins, filling them to just below top rim. Run your thumb around inside rims of ramekins so that souffles form a cap. Sprinkle tops with remaining ½ tablespoon Parmesan. Place ramekins on rimmed baking sheet and set on middle rack of oven. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until souffles are brown on top and set everywhere but center. Transfer souffles to plates and serve immediately.

Nutrition information pcr serving-protein: 13 grams; fat: 20 grams; carbohydrate: 7 grams; fiber: .7 gram; sodium: 361 milligrams; cholesterol: 189 milligrams; calories: 257.

Country Living/April/94 Scanned & fixed by DP & GG

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