Gluten-free Cuaresma Dinner Sinfully Fancy

Michael Sedano

Last week, the Gluten-free Chicano shared his peppercorn steak with rum sauce as a fancy dining option, something to serve when company comes, or an easy-fancy meal for a big date. Then Lent happens and even regular people are practicing the religious ritual of meatlessness.

As if anyone needs an excuse to eat Cheese Souffle, here's a lots-of-work Lenten dish that's spectacular fancy dining that busy people can make ahead and bake before serving. 

Made with gluten-free baking mix, it's one of the more satisfying analogs to wheat-based food, The Gluten-free Chicano's Cheese Souffle.

McDonald's Urban Farm in Altadena, CA brings farm-to-fork convenience of home delivery en estas partes. Twice a week, the farmer delivers to your door the freshest of blanquillos.  McDonald's Urban Farm is The Gluten-free Chicano's daughter's place, and La Chickenada's new digs. The current eggs are the first production of a new flock.

You can make this dish in advance, refrigerate it, pop it into a hot oven later that day. Get up an hour early and start with a reliable oven-proof straight-sided deep vessel. If you own a Souffle Pan, all the better.

Butter or spray the entire baking dish then pour in parmesan cheese. Roll the cheese around until the dish is completely coated with cheese. You can pour the cheese back into the jar or leave it.

Now separate eight McDonald's Urban Farm farm-fresh eggs, or whatever you can get. Wash your hands really well. Break the egg and pour it into your hand, fingers closed. Let the white slide into a mixer bowl and put the yolk into a small microwave safe jar.

Beat the egg whites and a pinch of salt until they are fluffy and make stiff peaks. Feel free to add chile powder or paprika to the whites. You're pouring a cup of hot cheese sauce into these egg whites, so have the right size.

You can make this gluten-free cheese souffle from egg whites alone. For sure, save some yolks for Hollandaise sauce. Dot lemony goodness across left-over souffle for tomorrow's breakfast, or for the full-fancy treatment, make gluten-free Eggs Benedict.

Make a gluten-free roux (link) from a stick of butter and a skimpy ¼ cup of gluten-free baking mix. Add a pinch of cayenne and black pepper to the roux. Stir a cup of milk into the butter-flour roux and cook over medium flame until the white sauce is thick and coats your spoon.

Stir the grated cheese into the white sauce and cook until the cheese is mostly or completely melted into the white sauce. Quickly whip in the yolks if you choose.

Fill the baking dish with the cheese sauce. It's ready for the oven, or stretch plastic film across it, refrigerate, and bake it after work.

Place the filled souffle pan on a cookie sheet to catch spill-overs. The foto illustrates the pan ⅔ filled and the finished souffle doubled its size. It is risen!

Use a sharp blade to cut the souffle into serving slices. Lift out the slices and arrange on the plate.

A Cesar Salad and champagne make this a wondrous dinner for four, six, or two. The wine adds a few carbs, anchovies are zero.

The Gluten-free Chicano's Gluten-free Cheese Souffle Ingredients. Carb counts link.
1 cup grated cheddar cheese = 2grams carbohydrates
8 eggs = 3g
1 stick butter = .07g
Simple Truth gluten-free baking mix ¼ cup = 32g
whole milk 1 cup = 11g

El Gluten-free Chicano used three different aged U.S. and Ireland cheddars. Experiment with a variety of cheese.

Use any brand of gluten-free baking mix. The Gluten-free Chicano is currently buying Ralph's private label mix. King Arthur is an excellent product, despite the monarchial pretension.

The Process
Beat egg whites to stiff peaks
Make cheese sauce
Stir sauce into whites
Fill baking vessel
Bake 400º 45 minutes / insert a butter knife blade diagonally into the center. A clean blade is a done souffle