Smoked haddock and gruyère soufflés

Smoked haddock and gruyère soufflés

Debora Robertson’s twice-baked smoked haddock soufflés are great if you’re at all nervous about making soufflés because you do the hard work ahead, then simply heat them through with a little more cream and cheese to serve. You can even freeze them after their first baking.

Smoked haddock and gruyère soufflés

Browse more smoked haddock recipes.

  • Serves icon Serves 8
  • Time icon Hands-on time 40 min. Oven time 45 min

Debora Robertson’s twice-baked smoked haddock soufflés are great if you’re at all nervous about making soufflés because you do the hard work ahead, then simply heat them through with a little more cream and cheese to serve. You can even freeze them after their first baking.

Browse more smoked haddock recipes.

Nutrition: Per soufflé

Calories
485kcals
Fat
43g (26g saturated)
Protein
18g
Carbohydrates
6.2g (2.5g sugars)
Fibre
0.7g
Salt
0.9g

Ingredients

  • 50g unsalted butter, plus plenty extra to grease
  • 40g parmesan, finely grated
  • 300ml whole milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 120-150g fillet undyed sustainable smoked haddock
  • 120g frozen spinach, defrosted, squeezed dry and finely chopped
  • 40g plain flour
  • 200g gruyère, coarsely grated
  • 4 medium free-range eggs, separated
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 350ml double cream

Specialist kit

  •  8 x 220-250ml ramekins
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Method

  1. Heat the oven to 200°C fan/gas 7. Butter the ramekins very well and dust them generously with the parmesan, tapping gently to remove any excess. Put them in a large roasting tin.
  2. Put the milk, bay leaf and smoked haddock in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a bare simmer, remove from the heat, then leave the haddock to poach with the lid on for 10 minutes. Remove the fish from the pan – don’t get rid of the milk – and break it into small flakes, discarding the skin and bones.
  3. Put the spinach in the pan with the infused milk. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat. Melt the 50g butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for a minute. Pour in the infused milk and spinach, stirring all the time, then simmer until the sauce has thickened (about 4 minutes).
  4. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in half the gruyère until melted. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then gently fold in the haddock (see Know-how). Stir in the mustard, some grated nutmeg and black pepper. Taste and add more nutmeg and pepper if it needs it, and perhaps some salt – depending on how salty the haddock is, it may not need it.
  5. In a scrupulously clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks but are not dry. Add about a quarter of the egg whites to the spinach and haddock mixture and stir in well to lighten the mixture. Gently fold in the rest with a rubber spatula, drawing the mixture up from the bottom of the bowl and gently folding over until it’s combined.
  6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins so each is two thirds full. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting tin until it comes halfway up the ramekins’ sides. Cook the soufflés in the oven for 20-22 minutes until puffed up and golden.
  7. Remove the tin from the oven and leave the ramekins in the water to cool. Run a spatula around each ramekin and turn the soufflés out. When cold, tightly wrap and chill for up to a day – or freeze (see Make Ahead).
  8. To serve, heat the oven to 220°C fan/gas 9. Butter an oven dish large enough to hold the soufflés without touching. Sprinkle half the remaining gruyère in the bottom and arrange the soufflés on top. Pour in the cream, then sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Serve immediately

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
485kcals
Fat
43g (26g saturated)
Protein
18g
Carbohydrates
6.2g (2.5g sugars)
Fibre
0.7g
Salt
0.9g

delicious. tips

  1. Make the soufflés up to the end of step 7, then freeze. Defrost in the fridge before continuing.

  2. How to stop your soufflé flopping
    • Room temperature eggs work best, and slightly old ones too; it’s easier to whisk air into egg whites that aren’t super fresh.
    • Make sure the whisk and bowl for the egg whites are scrupulously clean. Choose a stainless steel or ceramic bowl (plastic can cling on to traces of grease).
    • Straight-sided dishes get the best rise. Butter generously with softened rather than melted butter. Drag the pastry brush in straight lines up the sides of the dish and dust the interior with fine breadcrumbs and/or finely grated cheese.
    • To get ahead, prepare the ramekin(s) and make the egg yolk base part of the soufflé up to the day before, then keep chilled. All you have to do at the last minute is whisk the egg whites, then fold them in. Bring the ramekin(s) and base up to room temperature so it isn’t so stiff before gently combining with the whisked egg whites.
    • A pre-heated baking sheet on the oven shelf gives an initial boost of heat to get the rise off to a good start.
    • Put the soufflés into the oven as quickly as possible so the heat doesn’t escape, and close the door gently – slamming can knock the air out of your mix.
    • Don’t open the oven door. You can check 5 minutes before the end of cooking time – as all ovens vary – but no earlier than that.

Buy ingredients online

Recipe By:

Debora Robertson

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