Ingredients

Method

• 1 3⁄4 cups full-cream milk
• 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• Ground nutmeg, a pinch
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 T butter, plus extra for greasing
• 7 T cake flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1⁄4 t Hot English mustard powder
• 4 free-range eggs, separated
• 100 g Gruyère cheese, grated
• 100 g Parmesan, grated
• 3⁄4 cup cream

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease 4 ramekins or tea cups with softened butter and lightly dust with flour. Place in a roasting tray half- filled with water.

Place the milk, onion, nutmeg and bay leaves in a saucepan over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour to form a smooth paste. Cook over a medium heat for 1 minute. Strain the milk mixture and slowly add to the flour mixture. Allow the sauce to thicken between each addition.

Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the mustard, egg yolks and three-quarters of the cheese. Scrape into a clean bowl.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then fold into the cheese sauce in two batches.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins until two-thirds full, then bake for 15 minutes.

Allow to cool, then turn out onto a serving dish, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and pour over the cream. Bake until the cheese is melted and golden.

Cook’s note: Line the roasting tray with kitchen paper to prevent the ramekins from slipping.
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