This is a delicious recipe and worth the effort. It needs to be served immediately!

Ingredients:

The Garlic Infusion:
¾-1 cup minced green garlic, about 5 small heads
1 cup cream or half-and-half
1 sprig thyme

The Souffle:
4 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus extra for the dish
½ freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 bunch chard, stems removed
4 tablespoons flour of choice
1 and 1/3 cups milk or alternative
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 scant cup (about 4 ounces) mild goat cheese
4 egg yolks
6 egg whites

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 6-cup souffle dish or gratin dish and dust with a few tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
  2. Put the garlic, cream, and thyme in a small saucepan over low heat. Bring slowly to a boil, then turn off the heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes.
  3. Wash the chard well, then wilt it in a skillet with the water clinging to the leaves. Tip it to a colander, press out the moisture, then finely chop.
  4. Melt the 4 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute while stirring. Whisk in the milk and stir until it thickens. Add 1 teaspoon salt, then stir in the goat cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese. Turn off the heat and stir in the egg yolks, chard, and the garlic-cream mixture. Season with pepper.
  5. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form firm peaks that are just a bit on the soft side. Fold the whites and base together.  Scrape the batter into the prepared dish and bake until golden brown and set, about 25 minutes for gratin dish, 30 minutes for soufflé dish

*Before you bake, prepare a baking pan larger than the soufflé dish, set it in the oven with the filled soufflé dish, then add a little warm water, to fill about 1/3 the way up. This is called a Bain Marie, water bath, which helps the soufflé cook evenly and gives it “moisture”. When removing from the oven, take the soufflé out of the water bath first.

Serves 4