1cupshredded Gruyere cheese or other very flavorful cheese
Instructions
Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Butter four 8-ounce ramekins (or a 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish) and divide the Parmesan cheese between them, coating the bottoms and sides with the cheese.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk it continually for about 2 minutes but do not let it brown. Pour in the hot milk, continuing to whisk until the mixture is very thick, another 2-3 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in the salt, paprika and nutmeg. Whisk in the egg yolks one at a time. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl then cover and let it cool to room temperature.
In a clean and totally dry mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-beat.
Fold one large spoonful of the egg whites into the batter. Fold in the cheese. Very gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Be careful not to overmix the mixture - leave some small lumps.
Divide the mixture between the ramekins (or in the 1 1/2 quart souffle dish), filling them 3/4 full. Use a butter knife to smooth the tops. Bake for 20 minutes and do not open the oven during that time. Bake until golden brown, you may need to bake up to an additional 5 minutes.
The soufflés will begin to deflate a little the moment you remove them from the oven, so serve immediately!Tip: Have your guests already seated at the table just before the souffles are ready to come out of the oven so you can immediately serve them.
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