Bistro Chat Noir's Cheese Souffle Recipe

French restaurant Bistro Chat Noir is very Upper East Side. The cozy eatery is located in a townhouse on East 66th Street, where their star chef, Mario Hernandez, serves up elegant French fare. He’s joining the troupe of 30 all-star UES chefs participating in The Art of Food at Sotheby’s on February 10. There, he’ll be paired with a piece of artwork and challenged to create a unique dish inspired by it. While we wait to see what Mario serves up at the Art of Food, he’s giving readers a challenge of their own: the cheese souffle recipe. To learn more about the Art of Food, visit: www.artoffoodny.com Cheese Souffle Ingredients 10 eggs, whites and yolks separated 1 qt milk 1 large shallot ½ bunch thyme 1 ¾ c. corn starch ¼ c. truffle oil 20 oz goat cheese Butter and flour for lining soufflé molds. Method 1. Slice the shallot. 2. Put shallot, bunch of thyme, and milk in a pot and let it boil for 5 minutes. 3. Strain shallots and thyme. 4. Return milk mixture to the pot. Have stove on a very low flame. 5. Slowly add corn starch so it doesn’t get sticky. Mix constantly. 6. Add truffle oil and the 10 egg yolks. Continue to mix. 7. Add 16 oz of goat cheese. Mix until combined. 8. Remove mixture from stove and cool in refrigerator until cold. 9. Once cold, divide mixture into smaller mixing bowls, in 29 oz portions. 10. Butter and flour soufflé bowls to prevent sticking. 11. In a separate bowl, beat 2 cups of egg whites until foaming. Slowly add this to one of the 29 oz. bowls. Repeat for each individual soufflé portion. 12. Add half of each portion to soufflé molds. 13. Crumble remaining 4 oz. of goat cheese, divide and top each soufflé with goat cheese crumbles. 14. Add remaining portions of mixture to each mold. 15. Cook at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. 16. Serve immediately.