Fresh Corn and Kale Soufflé with Cave Aged Gruyere
A hallmark of French cooking, the soufflé is like magic. It uses nothing more than air to transform eggs into a lofty masterpiece, puffing and browning in the oven before collapsing at first bite. Julia Child describes the soufflé as the “epitome and triumph of the art of French cooking.”
We swoon over a well-made soufflé, savory or sweet, a dish that nobody seems to make anymore. The soufflé seems like the ultimate challenge, puffed high and golden brown while its center is still a molten sauce. They are actually quite easy. They do require the best eggs and cheese, and we wouldn’t scoff at a truffle. It’s important to pay close attention when you beat the egg whites, because if you overbeat them they’ll break apart when you fold them into the mixture. Gruyere cheese is wonderful in a souffle. In this recipe I used Gruyere, cave aged in Emma, Switzerland. Made from grass fed, unpasteurized cow’s milk, this nutty and rich cheese is one of Switzerland’s finest. Tourists flock to the sandstone caves in the Kaltbach region to see where this aged cheese develops its unique taste and signature brown rind.
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced or grated
1 bunch kale sliced into thin shreds
1 ½ cups ear corn kernels cut off
Sea salt and pepper to taste
6 eggs whites separated from the yolks
8 ounces Gruyère cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly brush melted butter into 4 (1 1/2 cup) ramekins or 1 (6 cups or so) baking dish.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter and olive oil. Once the butter is melted, add the garlic and kale. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is very tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the corn and season lightly with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the corn is bright yellow and soft, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow it to cool.
In a large bowl, stir together the 6 egg yolks, cheese and a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Stir in the kale and corn and the fresh basil. In another large, clean bowl, whip the eggs whites until soft and the whites are fluffy and have formed soft peaks. Stir about a third of the whites into the veggie/yolk mixture to lighten it and then gently fold in the remaining whites, being careful not to deflate them much.
Divide the soufflé mixture into the prepared ramekins or dish. Bake until golden and puffy, 30 to 35 minutes, and serve immediately with fresh basil chiffonade.
