Twice-baked smoked salmon souffle with horseradish cream recipe

Ingredients

• 50g (1¾oz) butter
• 50g (1¾oz) plain flour
• 300ml (½ pint) milk
• 100g (3½oz) full-fat cream cheese
• 1 level tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 200g packet smoked salmon
• 3 large eggs, separated
• Zest of ½ a lemon
• Freshly ground black pepper

To Serve

• 1-2 tbsp horseradish sauce
• 3 tbsp crème fraîche
• Sprigs of dill
• Lemon slices, quartered
• Caviar or fish roe
• Salad leaves
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 6-8 ramekin dishes, well buttered and base-lined with baking parchment

Method

• Set the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
• Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour, then gradually add the milk, beating well between each addition to give a smooth sauce. Simmer the sauce for a few mins, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream cheese and dill.
• Cut 6-8 narrow strips of smoked salmon, long enough to wrap around the ramekin dishes, and reserve them, then chop the rest of it.
• Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Beat the egg yolks, one at a time, into the sauce, then fold in the egg whites, chopped salmon, lemon zest and pepper.
• Place the ramekin dishes in a roasting dish and pour boiling water around them, to come about halfway up the sides of ramekins. Bake in centre of the oven for about 15-20 mins, until the soufflés have puffed up and just set.
• Remove the soufflés from the oven and leave them to cool for a few minutes. Turn them out on to a board, or plate, and leave to cool.
• Spread some horseradish sauce over one side of the smoked salmon strips, and wrap one around each soufflé, with the horseradish sticking them to the soufflés.
• Set the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Place the soufflés on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and bake in the oven for 12-15 mins, or until they start to puff up.
• Meanwhile, stir the remaining horseradish sauce into the crème fraîche.
• Remove the soufflés from the oven and serve each with some horseradish crème spooned on top and garnished with a sprig of dill, a quartered slice of lemon and a little caviar or fish roe. Serve immediately with salad leaves drizzled with olive oil.