Technically these are not a soufflé, there is no whisking of whites or separating of eggs, but they do puff up in the over and they are cheesy and oozy and a little bit custardy. They are also a great way of using up leftover croissants, and make a great starter or light lunch. You can use other cheeses of course, cheddar would no doubt be lovely. I like to serve them with a simple salad of apple and lettuce with a mustardy vinaigrette. You can make individual pots or make one big dish of cheesy croissants for everyone to share – you can also do a sweet version with apricot jam – recipe here.
Serves 6
Ingredients
6 day-old croissants
Dijon mustard taste
250-350g Comté cheese, grated
3 eggs
450ml cream (or a mixture of cream and whole milk, depending on what you have in the fridge)
Worcestershire sauce
Nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Method
Butter six ramekins or one large baking dish that will fit your croissants snuggly. Slice your croissants in half horizontally (as you would a bread roll) and open them out. Spread one half of each croissant generously with Dijon mustard – I like to be generous here but be guided by your taste.
Divide the grated cheese amongst the croissants – how much you need will depend on the size of the croissants, it’s best not to be stingy, you want a good cheesy goo to the soufflés. Sandwich back together and cut each croissant into four pieces.
Crack your eggs in a measuring jug, then top up to 600ml with cream or a mixture of whole milk and cream. You need approximately 100ml of liquid for each soufflé. Season with salt and pepper, a grating of nutmeg and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce.
The next bit is a bit messy, but it really is the best way to do this. Dunk each piece of cheese filled croissant into the egg mixture, one piece at a time, and squash four pieces of soaked croissant into each ramekin. There will be some egg mixture left at the end of this process – set it to one side.
Leave the soufflés to sit for a few minutes, they will start to soak up all of the egg mixture. Pre-heat your oven to 180c/350f. Top up each little pot with egg mixture as necessary – you want any gaps to be filled with the savoury custard.
When you’re ready to bake, put the ramekins into a roasting tin and then fill the tin with hot water from the tap until it comes half way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in the bain-marie for 25 minutes or until puffed up, golden brown and oozy with cheese.
Allow to sit for a minute or so (they won’t sink, so you don’t have to rush), then use tongs or a cloth to remove each dish from the bain-marie. Serve with salad and eat while still warm.
