Savoury Soufflé Variations

One of the most famous soufflés must surely be the spinach soufflé with anchovy sauce served at Langan’s Brasserie in London. It has been on the menu since Richard Shephard joined some six months after the restaurant opened in 1976. He thinks they must have cooked about 340 soufflés a week since then. Some of Peter Kromberg’s specialities include an artichoke soufflé baked in its shell with a warm mustard vinaigrette; an aubergine soufflé with a red pepper and mint sauce; and a celery, pear and walnut soufflé with a port and Stilton sauce, which sounds a very agreeable combination. Strongly flavoured cheeses produce very good soufflés, I find. Michel Bourdin of the Connaught Hotel in London serves individual Stilton soufflés baked in pastry cases. Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, devised a recipe for a shallow soufflé with goat’s cheese. This is a delightfully homely dish when baked in rustic earthenware. It cooks more quickly because the mixture is not as deep as the classic soufflé.