I got this from a Bonne Maman recipe card. It is a lovely, light starter, and the soufflé base of soaked bread could make a good vehicle for other flavours too. You could ring the changes by using onion marmalade in the bottom, instead of fig jam. Sorry there’s no picture — it sank before I got the camera organised!
For 4:
40 g soft butter
4 tbs fig jam or onion marmalade
50 g sourdough bread, crusts removed
150 ml milk
150 g soft fresh goat’s cheese
2 medium eggs
Nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan). Grease four small ramekins, and put 1 tbs jam in the bottom of each. Tear up the bread, put in a bowl, and pour over the milk; leave to soak for 5-10 miutes, till the bread is really soft.
Break up the cheese and put in a blender or food processor with the butter, egg yolks, and bread mixture. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Whiz till smooth and set aside. You can do all of this preparation in advance.
20 minutes before you want to serve the soufflés, whisk the egg whites until stiff, and fold into the cheese mixture with a metal spoon. Divide between the ramekins. Run a finger round the edge of each ramekin to make a small gap; the soufflés will rise better. Bake for 15-18 minutes, till risen and brown on top, and make sure all your guests are at the table before removing from the oven and serving instantly.