Bob Hart’s Cheese and Garlic Souffle

1 large bulb fresh garlic + a few extra cloves, skin on

90g unsalted butter

90g plain flour

400ml pouring cream

200ml whole milk

Nutmeg, ground

5 eggs, separated, + 1 extra egg white

120g Comtpé or Gruyere cheese

70g Parmesan

Method

• Preheat oven to 180c
• Place the whole garlic bulb along with the extra cloves, skin on, in a covered oven proof dish. Drizzle with olive oil, add a splash of water and season. Bake for around 30 mins until softened, then squeeze the garlic out as a paste, then push it through a food mill or process it.
• Increase your oven temp to 220c
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the flour. Stir to combine for a few minutes.
• In a separate saucepan, combine the cream and the milk. Bring barely to a boil and remove from heat. Pour this, gradually, into the flour mixture, stirring vigorously. Cook the mixture for a few more minutes, add salt and pinch of nutmeg to taste and remove from heat.
• Add the garlic pulp to the sauce and mix well, then add the egg yolks one by one, stirring well.
• Add the grated Gruyere and Parmesan, mix to combine.
• Beat the egg whites until they hold peaks. Mix half the egg whites into the cheese sauce, then gently fold in the other half.
• Butter a large, oval, earthenware baking dish, or the dish of your choice, and pour in the mixture which should almost fill it.
• Sprinkle with a bit more parmesan and bake, high in the oven, for 10 minutes, or until risen, well browned and not too wobbly.