White Cheddar Polenta Souffle has a deep, rich flavor and a beautiful texture. Making a souffle isn't as hard as you think. It makes a lovely, light meatless meal with a green salad and a glass of wine.
Author:Renee Rendall
Ingredients
UnitsScale
2ounces unsalted butter
2cups water
1/2cup cornmeal (stone-ground if possible)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks
6ounces sharp white cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 egg whites
1 tablespoon warm water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Make sure you've removed any racks from the top of your oven and that you've placed a rack in the bottom third of your oven, then preheat it to 375F.
Butter the bottom and all the way up the sides of a 1.5 quart souffle dish, and make sure you get right into the corners.
Add the grated parmesan to the souffle dish, and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Tap and shake the parmesan all the way around the pan to coat it completely in the cheese. Remove the plastic wrap, pour out any remaining cheese into a dish and set aside for later. Place the souffle dish in the fridge until you're ready to fill it with souffle.
Place the butter, 2 cups of water, cornmeal, garlic, and salt in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir together and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring often for about 10 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat.
Place the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and beat until light in color and slightly thickened.
Ever so slowly, add bits of the polenta mixture to the egg yolks, whisking continually until you've worked in about a third of the polenta. This allows you to raise the temperature of the egg yolks slowly so your eggs don't scramble. After you've worked in about a third, you should be okay to add in the rest of the polenta and whisk it together until smooth. Add the cheddar, cayenne, and the rest of the parmesan. Stir it all together and set aside while you get on with your egg whites.
In a large mixing bowl, beat your egg yolks and 1 tablespoon warm water with an electric mixer (using the whisk attachment if that's an option) until foamy. Add in the cream of tartar and continue to whisk to medium peaks.
This is the perfect time to remove your souffle pan from the fridge.
Add a quarter of your egg whites to your polenta mixture and fold gently until combined. Keep adding egg whites about a quarter at a time until everything is incorporated being as gentle as possible. The bubbles in the eggs is where you're going to get all the lift, so be careful with them.
Carefully add your batter to your souffle dish, place it on a baking sheet, and bake it for about 45 minutes or until puffed and golden.