Twice Cooked Prawn Souffles

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings makes 12 souffles

Ingredients

800g large green king prawns, peeled (head and tails reserved), deveined

80g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

80g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

500ml full-cream milk

160g Gruyere cheese (or cheddar)

5 eggs, separated

Pinch of nutmeg

Sauce

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 French shallots, chopped

2 tbsp cognac or brandy

120ml white wine

200g crushed tomatoes

300ml cream

Method

Finely chop the prawn meat until it forms a sticky rough paste. Chill until ready to use.

For the sauce, heat oil in a large sauté pan over a high heat. Add the prawn heads and tail and cook for 2 - 3 minutes on each side, then add the brandy and flambé. Add the shallots and white wine and bring to the boil then add the crushed tomatoes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook with the lid on for 15 minutes. Strain through a sieve and place in a clean pot. Add the cream and cook on a medium heat for 4 - 5 minutes to thicken.

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease a standard (80 ml) 12-hole muffin tin with butter and dust with a little flour.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the flour and cook, stirring continuously, for a minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook until the sauce becomes thick and glossy. Remove from the heat, add the nutmeg and half the Gruyere. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then mix in the egg yolks and minced prawns.

Place the egg whites and a pinch of salt in a bowl and whisk until firm peaks form. Add one-third of the egg whites to the white sauce and fold in. Carefully fold in another third and, finally, gently fold in the last third.

Fill the prepared muffin tin with the soufflé mixture and scrape the top with a knife to ensure they are evenly filled. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until the soufflés are puffed and golden. Cool for 15 minutes - they will deflate - then carefully loosen and remove from the tin using a small palette knife.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Place the soufflés in individual baking dishes or side by side in one large baking dish. Pour the sauce over the souffles and sprinkle cheese on top. Return to the oven to bake for 10 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Serve and enjoy!