Asparagus soufflé with Gruyère & Robiola

• 1 pound – asparagus spears

Blanch the asparagus for 2 minutes in boiling salted water. Rinse immediately in ice water to stop cooking. Drain and set aside to let cool

• 1 clove – garlic
• 1 teaspoon – fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon – unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup – shallots

Melt butter in saucepan on medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, and thyme. Cook gently until soft, do not let brown. About 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat

Purée asparagus and shallots, garlic and thyme together in a blender

• 3 tablespoon – unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoon – cake flour

Over medium-low heat, make a white roux from butter and cake flour

• 1-1/4 cup – whole milk

Add the milk to the mixture, little by little, whisking constantly to make a béchamel

• 1/4 teaspoon – ground nutmeg
• kosher salt
• dry ground mustard
• ground cumin
• ground ginger
• freshly ground black pepper

Stir in salt, nutmeg, cumin, mustard, ginger, and some fresh ground black pepper

Lower the heat to low and let cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the mixture from sticking to the pan

• 1/4 cup – freshly grated Gruyere cheese
• 1/4 cup – freshly grated Robiola cheese

Remove the béchamel from the heat and stir in the cheese.

Combine the mornay and the asparagus mixture in a large mixing bowl. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasonings

• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Adjust for seasoning before adding the eggs

• 3 count – egg yolks, large

Stir in the egg yolks until well combined.

Ensure the soufflé base is at room temperature before folding in egg whites

Preheat oven to 400°F

• 1/2 cup – parmesan cheese
• unsalted butter

Butter six 8-ounce ramekins with upward strokes. Coat well with finely grated parmesan cheese, tapping out the excess. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and set aside

• 5 count – egg whites, large

Beat the egg whites until foamy (small, uniform bubbles)

• kosher salt
• xanthan gum

Sprinkle in salt (~0.1% of egg whites by weight) and xanthan gum (0.1–0.15%) evenly while mixing on low speed

Increase speed and beat until glossy, just shy of stiff peaks

Fold one quarter of the egg whites into the base to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whites in two additions, cutting down the center and sweeping up the sides while rotating the bowl

Fill ramekins with the mixture up to a quarter-inch from the top

Run a thumb around the inside rim of each ramekin to create a small gap ("top hat" effect)

Place the filled ramekins on a baking sheet, then tap the sheet lightly to remove large air pockets

Transfer to the middle rack of the oven. Do not open the oven door during baking

Bake an additional 12–15 minutes until puffed, golden, and just set in the center (slight jiggle, not liquid)

Serve immediately