Leek, Potato and Cheese Soufflé

Making a soufflé out of some ordinary, inexpensive ingredients adds a touch of luxury when you want to cut costs. The potatoes give the soufflé a lovely crusty top with a squidgy inside. A salad with a garlicky dressing would be a good accompaniment and a dollop of relish on the side would not go amiss. Vegetarians might like to know that a vegetarian parmesan-style cheese is available from www.bookhamcheese.co.uk

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Recipe adapted from Delia’s Happy Christmas

Method

Begin by heating the butter in a small saucepan, then stir in the sliced leek and cook gently for 5 minutes. Then add the soured cream, give it all a good stir and cook on a very low heat for a further 5 minutes to
soften the leek and flavour the sauce. Then take the pan off the heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes.

Now beat the egg yolks into the cooled sauce, and grate the potatoes straight into the pan and beat into the sauce. Lastly beat in all but 1 tablespoon of the grated Cheddar. Season with a little salt and cayenne pepper, then transfer to a large bowl. In a separate (grease-free) bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff and stir one heaped tablespoon into the cheese mixture to slacken it and make it easier to fold in the rest. Taste for seasoning before carefully folding in the remaining egg white.

Pour the whole lot into the soufflé dish and sprinkle the top with the reserved Cheddar, Parmesan and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper.

Place on a baking tray and bake on the centre shelf for 30 minutes or until well risen and golden brown. Serve as soon as possible (it will shrink a bit on the way to the table but even when shrunken and cold it still tastes good!).

Nutrition 607kcals/26.8g protein/13.6g carbohydrate/4.4g sugars/49.5g fat/26.2g saturated fat/1.2g fibre/1.9g salt per serving

Eggs: for the latest guidelines, visit food.gov.uk. Recipes containing semi-cooked or raw egg are not suitable for pregnant women, elderly people, or those with weak immune systems.

Delia’s spoons: a useful point to remember is 2 teaspoons equates to 1 dessertspoon and 2 dessertspoons equates to 1 tablespoon