Cheese Souffle with Chicken and Spinach

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What is a souffle? It's essentially a simple white sauce enriched with egg yolk. Stiff egg whites are folded right into the mixture. At this point you can add whatever flavor you like: cheese, vegetables, chocolate or fruit. The secret to a great souffle is to beat the egg whites into stiff white peak consistency and to carefully fold them into the sauce to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.

Savory souffles are often too light for a main course, but the addition of chicken and spinach here bolsters this into a substantial main course. When you break into it with your fork, the seductive aroma of cheese, chicken and spinach pours out. It's elegant, airy and fluffy.

Souffles couldn't be easier to put together. The secret to success is making sure your timing is just right. So plan ahead carefully; figure out what you will be serving first -- such as a salad or soup -- and time the souffle to go into the oven as you sit down for your first course. Remember: You can wait for a souffle, but a souffle waits for no one. You don't want to serve a deflated souffle.

Begin with a simple green salad. I like to serve roasted or grilled tomatoes as an accompaniment. To drink, serve a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.

Tips

-- Buy a cooked chicken breast or roast one for about 35 minutes at 400 F.

-- Make sure to wring out the spinach with a dishrag to remove all liquid.

-- Use room temperature eggs (cold eggs hold less air).

-- Carefully separate the eggs. Make sure you use a spotlessly clean bowl for the egg whites or they will not whip up properly

-- Use an electric mixer for the whites; make sure the beaters are perfectly clean.

-- You can use any kind of cheese you like; other cheeses that work nicely include nutty Parmesan, sharp cheddar, or goat cheese.

-- You can add additions such as crisp bacon pieces or thin cooked vermicelli noodles. Make sure to add it to the sauce before you fold in the egg whites.

Cheese Souffle with Spinach and Chicken

Serves 4

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons grated Swiss, Parmesan or Cheddar cheese

1 medium cooked chicken breast, skinned, boned and cut into 1/-inch pieces

1 (10-ounce) package chopped spinach, defrosted and drained of all water

1 teaspoon salt

Pinch white pepper

2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

4 egg yolks

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

5 egg whites

Pinch of cream of tartar

1 tablespoon breadcrumbs

1. Prepare a 1 1/2 quart souffle dish by rubbing 1 teaspoon butter over base and sides of dish and coating with 1 tablespoon grated cheese.

2. Mix chicken with chopped spinach in a bowl and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pinch of white pepper. Spread mixture evenly on bottom of souffle dish and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon grated cheese.

3. Preheat oven to 375 F. Melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and mix with a wooden spoon for 1 minute. Let flour and butter cook until bubbling but still white, about 2 more minutes. Add milk and whisk sauce until thick and smooth, about 2 more minutes. Bring sauce to a boil while whisking. Cool for 10 minutes.

4. Add egg yolks to the cooled mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, white pepper, and nutmeg; whisk to combine.

5. Whip egg whites with a pinch of salt and cream of tartar in a spotlessly clean large bowl with whisk or electric mixer until stiff peaks form but are not dry.

6. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold half of egg whites into sauce. Add all but 1 tablespoon of remaining grated cheese to sauce and then fold in the rest of egg whites just until no white streaks remain. Pour into prepared dish on top of the chicken and spinach mixture. Sprinkle remaining tablespoon of cheese and then finish with the breadcrumbs on top.

7. Bake for 30-35 minutes until brown. Remove and serve immediately.

 

Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks (click here), including "Seriously Simple Holidays: Recipes and Ideas to Celebrate the Season," and also a James Beard award-winning radio show host.

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