soubise sauce

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onions and salt, toss with butter, and cook slowly, covered for 20 to 30 minutes until very tender but not browned.
2. Reduce heat to low, add the flour and stir for 3 minutes.
3. Off the heat, whisk in the hot milk until smooth and lump free. Return the saucepan to the stove, raise heat to medium-high and simmer slowly for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Purée the sauce in a blender until smooth and velvety. Return to saucepan, bring to a simmer, and thin with 3-4 tbsp heavy cream to reach a velvety consistency that just coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Off heat, and just before serving, stir in the softened butter.

cheese soufflé

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Butter inside of soufflé mold(s) and sprinkle with cheese. Roll the grated cheese around in it for a light and even coating. Turn the mold upside down and knock off excess cheese.
3. Melt butter in the saucepan. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and cook over medium heat until the butter and flour foam together for 2 minutes without browning. Remove from heat, add a small amount of hot milk and whisk until fully combined. Continue to add about 1/4 cup of hot milk at a time, whisking until smooth, until all of the milk has been added.
4. Season with salt, black pepper, cayenne and nutmeg. Return sauce to medium-high heat and bring to boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Sauce will be very thick.
5. Remove from heat and immediately whisk the yolks into the hot sauce, one at a time, until fully combined. Adjust seasoning to taste. (The soufflé can be prepared ahead to this point. Heat to warm before continuing).
6. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites with salt to stiff and shiny peaks.
7. Stir in about 1/4 of the egg whites into the sauce to lighten. Stir in all but one tablespoon of the cheese. Delicately fold in the rest of the egg whites, careful not to over mix and stopping when a few streaks of egg white are still visible.
8. Pour the soufflé mixture into the prepared mold(s), which should be almost 3/4 full. Tap the bottom of the mold lightly on the table, and smooth the surface of the soufflé with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
9. Set on a rack in the middle of the oven and immediately turn heat down to 375°F. Do not open oven door for 20 minutes. In 25 to 30 minutes, the soufflé will have puffed about 2 inches over the rim of the mold(s), and the top will be nicely browned. Bake 4 to 5 minutes more to firm it up, then serve at once with warm soubise sauce.