Light, golden and gloriously cheesy, this soufflé is a delicious celebration of Scotland’s east coast. The gentle oak smoke of St Andrews Smoked Anster brings warmth and depth, while the Arbroath Smokies add their distinctive savoury richness, creating a beautifully balanced dish that feels both comforting and elegant.

It’s also a lovely reminder of just how versatile farmhouse cheese can be. Made on the Stewart family farm in Fife using milk from their own herd, heritage culture and traditional cheesemaking methods , St Andrews Smoked Anster has the crumbly, characterful texture of Anster with a gentle oak-smoked depth.

Serve straight from the oven while it is beautifully puffed and golden, with a crisp green salad and perhaps a glass of something chilled. A simple dish, made with exceptional Scottish produce – and a rather delicious way to bring a taste of Fife to the table.

Ingredients

120g St Andrews Smoked Anster
2 Arbroath Smokies
40g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
300ml whole milk
1 halved shallot
1 bay leaf
40g plain flour
½ tsp mustard powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper
4 eggs, separated
200ml double cream
3 tbsp chopped chives

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°c/160°c fan/Gas 3. Remove the flesh from the fish, making sure that you pick over the meat very carefully to remove any bones.
2. Grease 6 ramekins well with butter. Bring the milk to the boil with the bay leaf and halved shallot, turn off and leave to infuse for 5 minutes before discarding the shallot and bay leaf.  Make a roux with the butter, flour, cayenne, and mustard powder and slowly add the milk, whisking all the time.   Add the grated St Andrews Smoked Anster.  Then add in the egg yolks one at a time, combining each one well, before adding the next. Gently fold in the fish. Set aside.
3. Whisk the whites in a sparklingly clean metal bowl to soft peaks. Add in one spoonful of the cheese mix first then add the remaining mixture gently to ensure you lose as little air as possible. Spoon into the ramekins. Run your finger around the edge for an even rise.
4. These soufflés don’t have the very even, flat-topped rise of a traditional dessert soufflé as the heavier fish in the mixture changes the composition, so don’t worry if they aren’t uniform once cooked.
5. Place the ramekins gently into a deep roasting tin and pour boiling water to about halfway up the sides.  Carefully place in the oven and cook for 15 – 18 minutes.
6. Mix the double cream with the chopped chives and season with salt and pepper.  Pour equal amounts over and around each hot soufflé. Top with more grated Smoked Anster and serve immediately. 

Et voilà! A beautiful golden soufflé, packed full of delicious Scottish flavours. The combination of Smoked Anster and Arbroath Smokies really is a match made in heaven, with just the right amount of smoky, savoury goodness.

Head over to St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company’s own website to find out more about their award-winning range of farmhouse cheeses and to discover more ways to enjoy their delicious cheeses. Standrewscheese.co.uk