Soufflé night

Tonight I made my first soufflé. I have actually never eaten any sort of soufflé in my life, so I did not know what to expect. I knew it was supposed to be puffy and slightly over the top, but as far as taste and the science of the soufflé, I had no clue. There is the recipe for the soufflé I made tonight. It was so great.

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1 bay leaf
• half of a small onion, peeled
• pinch of paprika
• Parmesan, grated, for dusting the dish
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 3 eggs, separated + 1 egg white
• 3 ounces cheese, grated or mashed
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs
• 1 pinch Salt and pepper
• branch of rosemary, cut in three

Directions

1. Put the milk with the bay leaf, onion, and pinch of paprika in a saucepan and bring just to the boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and set aside to infuse 10 minutes. Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Butter 8 1/2-cup/125 ml ramekins or 1 4-cup/1 litre soufflé dish, and dust with the grated Parmesan.
2. In a clean saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook one minute. Gradually whisk over the milk, and cook, stirring, until thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and beat in the yolks. Stir through the cheese and herbs. Season well with salt and pepper.
3. Beat the whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt. Stir a spoonful into the yolk mixture, then pour the yolk mixture onto the remaining whites and gently fold together. Pour into the soufflé dish and bake until risen and set, but still slightly creamy in the centre, about 30 minutes, depending on the size of the soufflé dishes. Serve immediately before it slumps.

Baked Provençal Tomatoes

• 4 medium tomatoes
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs (heaping)
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (heaping)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Olive oil, for drizzling

1. Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Cut the tomatoes in half at the waist. Lay them cut-side up in a baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Mix the breadcrumbs, parsley, and garlic in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the tops of the tomatoes. Drizzle over a little olive oil. Bake until hot and slumping, about 20 minutes