Baked Cheese Soufflé with Gruyère and Parmesan

Bake. Heat oven to 200°C for a extra browned soufflé with a a little looser center or 190°C for a more lightly cooked soufflé that sets all this way through. Put the oven shelf at the bottom. Oil the inside of a 48-ounce ramekin using softened butter. Tip in some grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, rotating ramekin all round so cheese sticks in order to every part of buttered surface; tip in more cheese if you do not have enough or tip away any leftover. Clean the rim of soufflé dish and move ready ramekin to the fridge till ready to use.

Melt. Melt 3 tablespoons butter over a medium-high flame (don't let it brown) in a little saucepan. Add flour and beat to form paste. Carry on cooking, mixing, till raw flour scent is gone, around 1 minute. Beating the whole time, tip in milk in thin, steady stream, or in increments of one couple of tablespoons after another, beating well plus getting in all corners of pan in order in order in order to maintain one lump-free texture. Sauce will initially become very thick, next get thin when all the milk is added.

Mix. Heat, mixing, till sauce comes to a simmer and begins to thicken a little. Reduce heat to low and cook, mixing plus scraping the sides and bottom of pan, till sauce is nicely thickened, around 3 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper. Move béchamel sauce to a big heatproof mixing bowl and leave till it is cold a little. Beat Dijon mustard (if using) plus cayenne or hot sauce (if using) in béchamel.

Mix (2). Next, while beating the whole time, work in egg yolks one after another till well blended. Set soufflé base aside. Using a French beat, electric hand blender, or stand mixer fitted using beat attachment, mix egg whites using cream of tartar (if using) plus whip till firm, glossy peaks form in a big bowl. Tip in 1/3 of whipped egg whites to béchamel base plus mix well till whites are well mixed and soufflé base has a looser consistency. Blend in Gruyère.

Bake (2). Lightly fold leftover beaten egg whites into soufflé base till it has only just come together using a silicone spatula. Remove soufflé dish from fridge and set on rimmed baking tray. Scrape soufflé batter into ready baking dish, filling it up in order to the inner ridge, not to the top (tip away any leftover). Using an offset or other spatula, lightly smooth plus level surface of the soufflé batter if wanted. Move soufflé to oven and bake till well risen and nicely browned on top, around 30 minutes at 200°C for less set and 35 minutes at 200°C for more set, and 35-40 minutes at 190°C for fully set.

Finish. Promptly move soufflé to table plus offer before it deflates too much, scooping out portions onto every diner's plate.