Basic savoury soufflé

Brush the inside of the dish with melted butter and dust with the breadcrumbs to prevent the souffle from sticking. Tie a double band of greaseproof paper around the dish to hold the rising souffle in place (remove it carefully before serving). A 3 cm overlap is ideal if it is too high, it will prevent the heat from penetrating. Brush the inside of the paper with butter.

Melt the butter in the saucepan over a meium heat. Add the flour gradually and mix to a smooth paste, stirring constantly. Add the hot milk and cook until the sauce is boiling, smooth and thick.
Remove from the heat and ad the mustard. Add the egg yolks one by one, alternating with some cheese, retaining 60ml for topping. Mix well and reheat until the cheese melts. Add the cayenne pepper, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and stir 30ml into the sauce to lighten it. Fold in the remianing egg white in two parts, lifting the sauce well over the egg white from the bottom of the pan. Don’t overmix. Pile the mixture into the dish, dust with extra breadcrumbs and the remaining cheese, and bake in a preheated oven until puffed and golden. Serve immediately with salad and crusty bread.