Truffle infused mushroom souffle

Inspired by the French souffle restaurant, Rise, I took to the kitchen to create my own souffle at home. With cookbook in hand and ingredients laid out, step by step I worked my way through creating the most delicious truffle infused mushroom souffle which was a source of great enjoyment on this fine Sunday afternoon.

To make a souffle, you need to first set your workstation. You see, when working with whipped eggs, you must work quickly so it is imperative to have everything at your fingertips and ready to pop in the oven as soon as your mixture is prepared.

So, first we will pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Next, we need to make a Thick Bechamel Sauce (white sauce that will be used as the souffle base). To do this, you will need to combine in a small saucepan:

1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 onion with 1 bay leaf stuck to it using 2 whole cloves
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, uncovered, to infuse the flavor into the milk. Discard the onion, bay leaf and cloves. Meanwhile, melt in a medium saucepan over low heat:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter and stir in 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally over medium-low heat, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the warm milk, slowly, and return the saucepan to heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring to prevent lumps from forming and cook until the sauce reaches the consistency of a thick cream soup. Season with salt and ground white pepper and set aside to incorporate into the souffle base.

Now that the white sauce is complete, prepare your souffle dishes. To do this, generously butter six 8-ounce ramekins and dust the insides with freshly grated Gruyere cheese. Shake out the excess. This will create a golden brown crust of cheese around your souffle after baking.

Combine in a large bowl:

1 1/2 cups Thick Bechamel Sauce (what you made earlier)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground white pepper

Beat 1/2 cup of the mixture into:

6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Combine the rest of the sauce, beating vigorously to blend and add:

1 1/2 cups finely chopped cremini mushrooms
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram
A drizzle of black truffle oil

Beat until stiff but not dry:

6 large egg whites
Pinch of salt

Stir one-quarter of the whites into the souffle base to lighten it, then fold in the rest. Pour into the prepared ramekins. Bake until the souffle is risen and golden brown on top (20 to 25 minutes). Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Enjoy!