| 1 |
Butter eight 3-inch (1/2-cup) ceramic ramekins and sprinkle them with 1/2 cup of the Parmesan (about 1 tablespoon per ramekin), pressing the cheese into the sides. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet. |
| 2 |
Preheat the oven to 400 F. |
| 3 |
Work the 3 tablespoons butter and the flour together to form a thick paste in a small bowl. It's easiest to do this with you fingers. |
| 4 |
Bring the milk just to a boil in a small pot. Remove immediately from the heat. |
| 5 |
Whisk the paste into the milk to completely dissolve it. Return the pot to the stove, and over low heat, whisking constantly, cook until the base just begins to bubble and thicken, about 1 to 2 minutes. It will be the consistency of soft mashed potatoes. |
| 4 |
Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Whisk in the lemon juice zest, yolks, chives, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a sprinkling of black pepper. Stir in the ricotta and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Allow the base to cool. |
| 5 |
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or by hand, whip the egg whites to a soft peak, about 1 minute on medium speed. Do not overbeat. |
| 6 |
Mix in a quarter of the egg whites to lighten the base. Fold in the remaining three-quarters of the whites. |
| 7 |
Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Bake until the tops are golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the souffles deflate and cool for about 20 minutes. Run a knife around the sides to unmold the souffles. You can keep them in the refrigerator for 2 days. Warm them at 350 F. until heated through. Serve warm. |