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Perfect match: Roquefort soufflé with Sauternes

Australian Gourmet Traveller wine match recipe for twice-baked Roquefort soufflé with Sauternes-poached quince

By Adelaide Lucas
  • 15 mins preparation
  • 1 hr 45 mins cooking
  • Serves 6
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Twice-baked Roquefort soufflé with Sauternes-poached quince
Sauternes, the traditional match for the ewe's milk blue cheese Roquefort, is a classic French sweet wine made from botrytis-affected semillon, sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes in Bordeaux. Along with the powerful but heavenly taste of the moulds in your mouth (the penicillium roquefortii green/blue mould of the cheese and the dusting of botrytis cinerea mould on the grapes), the creamy saltiness of the cheese makes a luscious foil for the intense sweetness of the wine. Sauternes or Australian botrytis semillon goes well with a dish based on fruit, cream or vanilla, with just a touch of caramelisation: tarte Tatin, for example, or crème brûlée. This dessert is perfect, whichever way you look at it: cheesy and fruity at the same time. Needless to say, the more you spend on your Sauternes or botrytis semillon the better. - Max Allen
The creamy saltiness of Roquefort is the perfect foil for this intensely sweet wine traditionally made in Bordeaux.

Ingredients

  • 60 gm butter, coarsely chopped, plus extra for greasing
  • 25 gm walnuts, finely ground (¼ cup)
  • 250 ml milk (1 cup)
  • 1 fresh bay leaf
  • 40 gm plain flour
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 140 gm Roquefort
  • 5 eggwhites
Sauternes quince
  • 110 gm caster sugar (½ cup)
  • 375 ml Sauternes
  • 2 pieces of orange peel, removed with peeler, thinly sliced
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
  • 1 small quince, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

Method

Main
  • 1
    For Sauternes quince, combine sugar, Sauternes, orange peel, vanilla bean and seeds, 1 tsp sea salt and 250ml water in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring over medium heat to dissolve sugar (3-5 minutes). Add quince, reduce heat to low and cook until pink and tender (45 minutes-1 hour). Transfer quince to a bowl. Bring cooking liquid to the boil, cook over medium heat until reduced by half (5-10 minutes) and pour over quince. Cool to room temperature.
  • 2
    Preheat oven to 180C. Butter six ½-cup capacity dariole moulds, dust sides with ground walnuts, shake off excess and discard. Combine milk and bay leaf in a saucepan, bring to the boil, set aside and keep warm. Meanwhile, melt butter in a heavy-based saucepan, add flour, stir continuously until mixture starts to brown (1-2 minutes). Gradually add milk, whisking until smooth, then bring to the boil, stirring continuously until thick and mixture comes away from side of pan (2-3 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in egg yolks one at time, beating well after each addition, season to taste and set aside for 5 minutes, then crumble 80gm of Roquefort into mixture and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk eggwhites and a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Fold one-third of the eggwhite into cheese mixture then fold through remaining eggwhite. Spoon mixture into prepared moulds and bake until puffed and golden (15-20 minutes). Stand for 5-10 minutes to cool slightly then invert onto a baking paper-lined oven tray.
  • 3
    Thinly slice remaining Roquefort into 6 pieces, place a piece on each soufflé and bake until just melted (3-5 minutes). Serve immediately with poached quince.

Notes

Drink suggestion by Max Allen