Soufflé au Parmesan

Soufflé au Parmesan (Parmesan soufflé) teaches the compact grammar of every savory soufflé: a flavorful base provides structure, beaten whites provide lift, and neither can correct the other's mistakes. The one true thing to know before touching the pan is this: the whites cannot hide a rough panade. Smoothness must be built before they enter.

The original formula assumed brigade proportions, a pound each of flour and Parmesan, two and one-half imperial pints of milk, ten yolks and ten whites, a tammy, a silver timbale, and another arm available for the whisk. It asks for neither standing stock nor a salamander, so neither belongs here. This version is exactly one-fifth of that formula, with its ratios intact: a tamis (fine-mesh sieve) replaces the tammy, a straight-sided porcelain dish replaces the silver, and an electric mixer supplies the spare arm. The extra hands and precious metal were scaffolding. The sieving and careful fold are the dish, and they stay.

What emerges is generous rather than fragile, with a butter-gold crown, a close and tender crumb, and Parmesan carried through every bite. It will settle after serving, because soufflés breathe out just as people do. Rub the enriched panade through the tamis while it is still warm; that is the step that decides the crumb.