It's Cheese Soufflé Day! - Matilda Marseillaise

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Happy Cheese Soufflé Day! Just as there are days celebrating different wine varietals, there are also days celebrating certain foods. 18 May celebrates the cheese soufflé. To celebrate the day, we’re going to share some fun facts about the soufflé as well as let you know where you can enjoy one in Australia.

What is soufflé?

Soufflé is an egg-based dish which is baked in the oven. It can be savoury or sweet depending on the other ingredients put into it.

What does the word soufflé mean?

The word soufflé is a French word forming the past tense of the verb souffler meaning to blow, to breathe, to inflate or to puff. It’s use makes sense given the way in which a soufflé will puff up or inflate as it cooks. Initially, the term soufflé was used to define the preparation which was softened by the presence of beaten egg whites, such as an “omelette soufflé ” or “crème soufflé “.

How do you make a soufflé?

Soufflé is made up of two parts:

the base- where the flavour comes from – consisting of flavoured crème pâtissière, cream sauce or béchamel, or a purée which are flavoured with herbs, cheese and vegetables for the savoury variety or fruits, chocolate or lemon for dessert soufflés
the peak – egg whites beaten to a peak

Who mentioned it first?

As to who was the first to mention the soufflé in writing, it depends on whether you ask the French or the anglophile world. For the English speakers, it’s in early in 1742 where it is attributed to Vincent La Chapelle, a French master cook of the time. In his book Le Cuisinier Moderne (The Modern Cook) the soufflé is in under the title omelette soufflée. For the French, it’s somewhere between 1722 and 1730 by François Massialot in Le Nouveau cuisinier royal et bourgeois as a “crème soufflée of egg whites, diversified and dotted with lemon peel.”

The Grande Taverne de Londres is where souffle was first served in a restaurant. Antoine Beauvilliers had several souffles on the menu and is often credited as souffle’s inventor. The Grande Taverne de Londres is seen as the first grand restaurant of Paris.

Marie-Antoine Carême is credited with popularising the soufflé. Cooking for the nouveau riche, he created hundreds of variations including the Rothschild with fruit macerated in gold-flecked liqueur.

Soufflé Days and their hashtags

Cheese Soufflé Day is held annually on 18 May. Its chocolate counterpart is celebrated yearly on 28 February.

If you’re enjoying a cheese souffle today, use these hashtags #nationalcheesesouffleday #cheesesouffleday #cheesesouffle #souffleaufromage.

For chocolate souffle use: #souffleauchocolat #chocolatesouffle #chocolatesouffleday

Where to eat cheese soufflé in Australia

BRISBANE

Boucher has a Roquefort cheese soufflé on the menu.

PERTH

Bistro Guillaume can’t wait to showcase their Twice Baked Cheese Soufflé with you. This soufflé is a staple on the Bistro Guillaume menu, being one of the most popular entrée’s dishes, this cheesy delight is featured on the menu all year round. Loved by all cheese lovers, this dish was created by Guillaume when the chef was an apprentice at Aux Charpentiers.

Being a strong feature, the soufflé is unlike any other regular soufflé, twice baked and served with silky Roquefort cheese and French blue vein cheese made from raw ewe’s milk, this classic French dish is set apart from the rest.

The cheese itself has an ‘appellation label’ meaning that the Roquefort can only be made in the Roquefort-sur-soulzon region of France, as Bistro Guillaume continues to strengthen its ties with its French roots the Twice Baked Cheese Soufflé features the country’s stunning produce.

SYDNEY

Bistro Rex has a Cantal Cheese Soufflé on the menu.

Cantal is semi-hard cow’s milk cheese aged from 1 to 6 months from Auvergne (in central France), named after the Cantal mountains. The base of the Soufflé is made with a Béchamel sauce and once cooled, egg yolks and Cantal cheese are added. This is then folded through whisked egg whites and cooked in ceramic moulds. We then de-mould the soufflé into the serving dish. Once ordered, the Soufflé is covered with cream, more Cantal cheese and baked for approximately 14 minutes to rise again. Garnished with a mix of parsley, chives, thyme, and tarragon.