Goat Cheese Souffle

From Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food
Serves 4

*6 tbsp butter, divided
*3 tbsp flour
*1 cup milk
*salt
*fresh-ground pepper
*pinch of cayenne
*1 thyme sprig, leaves only
*4 eggs
*4 oz. goat cheese

Melt 5 tbsp butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Little by little, whisking thoroughly between additions, stir in milk. Season the bechamel with salt, pepper, cayenne and thyme. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Separate the eggs, stirring the yolks into the white sauce. Add the goat cheese to the sauce. Taste for salt. It should taste slightly too salty to make up for the unsalted egg whites, which will be added later.

Preheat the oven to 375 and butter a 1-quart souffle dish with remaining 1 tbsp butter.

Whip the egg whites into moist firm peaks. Stir 1/3 of the whites into the souffle base. Then gently fold the base into the rest of the egg whites, taking care not to deflate them. Pour the mixture into the buttered dish and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until puffed and golden, but still soft in the center and jiggly when shaken gently. (Halve the bake time if baking in two smaller dishes.)