Savory Cheese Soufflé

Prepare the soufflé dish. (See below.) Slide rack onto lower-third level, and preheat oven to 400°F.

The Sauce Base. Cook the 2 1/2 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons flour together in a 3-quart saucepan until they foam and froth for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and beat in the hot milk, then simmer and stir slowly for a minute or two to thicken. Remove from heat and whisk seasonings into sauce, then, one by one, the egg yolks.

Whip the egg whites to stiff, shining peaks (see page 100). Whisk a quarter of them into the sauce to lighten it, then delicately fold in the rest of the whites, alternating with sprinklings of the grated Swiss cheese.