Crab and Gruyère Soufflé Recipe (with Video)

Preparation of Ramekins
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. On a baking sheet or cutting board, grease 2-3 (6 ounce) ramekins with butter then coat each one with flour and rotate so the ramekin sides are coated.
3. Turn the ramekins upside down and give them one good light pound onto the surface of the baking sheet or cutting board to remove any excess flour.
Preparing the Soufflé Mixture
1. In a large skillet on medium heat melt butter then add your shallots and whisk for about thirty seconds then add in the old bay and whisk until combined.
2. Turn the heat to low, then add your flour and whisk for about 1 minute or until combined. Your roux should still be a light color. We do not want a dark roux for this soufflé.
3. Immediately add in the sour cream and milk together and whisk until you get a gooey mixture “similar” to dough.
4. Add in the cheese and whisk until combined.
5. Add in the 3 egg yolks and immediately whisk until combined. It’s important to turn the heat to the lowest setting possible when adding in the egg yolks. You do not want the eggs to scramble.
6. Add in your crab meat, salt and whisk/stir to combine (approximately 1 minute or less)
7. Remove the soufflé mixture from the pan into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Preparing the Egg Whites
1. In another large mixing bowl, pour the egg whites that you pre separated from the yolks into the bowl. Using an electric mixer or immersion hand blender, beat until soft peaks form (you can do this by hand, but an electric mixer works best)
2. Take half of the egg white mixture and gently fold it into the soufflé mixture until combined. Take the remaining egg white mixture and repeat. (a wooden or plastic spoon works best for this step)
Baking the Soufflé
1. Spoon soufflé mixture into ramekins until about 3/4 full.
2. Place the ramekins into the oven by themselves on middle rack and bake on 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until puffed and golden brown on top.
3. Serve immediately.