Cheese and Spinach Souffle

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

450ml milk (I use a mixture of soya milk and dairy milk)

3 bay leaves

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

handful chives, chopped

1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds, crushed

1/2 tsp black pepper

70g butter

3 tblsp plain flour

100ml water

50g mature cheddar, grated

4 egg whites

2 egg yolks

200g spinach

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius

1. Put the milk, garlic, bay leaves, chives, mustard seeds and pepper in a pan, and heat to a gentle simmer for about 10 minutes. Steam the spinach over the milk as it is simmering.

2. In another pan, melt the butter, and add the flour, stirring continuously to make a roux.

3. Remove the bay leaves from the milk, then slowly add the milk and water to the roux, whisking continuously over a very low heat.

4. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese.

5. Remove the spinach from the steamer and squeeze it in your hands to remove all excess moisture. Chop roughly and place in a mixing bowl.

6. Add the cheese mixture and the egg yolks to the spinach in the mixing bowl, and mix together.

7. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, and gradually fold one spoonful a time into the rest of the mixture, using a figure-of-eight motion.

8. Put the mixture into ramekins, and put these into a baking tray. Fill up the baking tray to a third of the way up the ramekins using boiling hot water.

9. Bake for about 40 minutes at 180 degrees celsius.

Tastes particularly delicious served with minted new potatoes!