Individual crab souffles

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
• 25g / 1oz butter, plus extra for greasing
• 25g / 1oz flour
• 285ml / 1/2pint milk
• 2 tsp tomato puree
• 1/2 tsp English mustard powder
• dash of Tabasco sauce
• 110g / 4oz gruyere cheese, grated
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 dressed crab, brown and white meat
• 3 free-range egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 4 free-range egg whites

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas Butter the insides of six ramekin dishes and sprinkle with the grated parmesan cheese.

2. Melt the 1oz/25g of butter in a pan and mix in the flour. Cook for a minute then gradually add the milk, bit by bit, to make a white sauce.

3. Gently cook the sauce until thickened then add the tomato puree, mustard powder, Tabasco sauce, gruyere and seasoning. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary then stir in the crab meat.

4. Allow to cool slightly then stir in the egg yolks.

5. In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites until they form peaks. Add a spoonful of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture and gently fold in using a metal spoon. Gently fold in the remainder of the egg whites.

6. Pour the mixture evenly into the six ramekins.

7. Pour the mixture evenly into the six ramekins.

8. Serve at once with salad and warm crusty bread.