The Fleece Twice Baked cheese souffle with chive, cream sauce

6 ramekins buttered liberally and placed in the fridge

Take your peeled half onion and lay the bay leaf on the flat surface, pin the bay leaf to the onion with the cloves. Place this flat side down in a saucepan with the milk and gently heat, the flavour of the onion will infuse in the milk as it heats. Once hot, remove from heat, set aside and leave to infuse.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour to create a roux. Gently heat while stirring for 5 minutes, add your english mustard and stir for a further minute. 

Now you start adding the milk. Pour roughly one quarter of the milk into the roux, and beat over a medium heat until it thickens. Repeat this in 3 further stages until all of the mlk has been added, letting the mixture thicken/boil between each addition. Let this simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. 

Next add the grated gruyere and stir until melted. Add a big pinch of salt. Leave to cool.

Once the mixture is half cooled, add the 6 egg yolks and beat in. 

Add the white wine vinegar and half a tsp of salt to the egg whites and whisk until stiff peaks. 

Spoon one third of the egg whites into the cheese mix and beat hard to incorporate.

Add another third of the mIx but this time fold in gently, repeat with the remainder.

Pour the mixture into the 6 ramekins and place in a deep baking tray. Pour boiling water into the tray halfway up the outside of the ramekins. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. 

Remove the tray from the oven and leave to cool at room temperature. Once cool, decant from ramekins and place on a tray/plate in the fridge until ready to serve.