Chocolate Soufflé 🍫

Method

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Brush four 150ml ramekins with melted butter, dust with cocoa powder and tip out the excess.

2. 2

   Melt the chocolate with the butter in a bowl set over simmering water, stirring until glossy. Let it cool for five minutes, then stir in the egg yolks.

3. 3

   Whisk the egg whites with the salt to soft peaks, then rain in the caster sugar and whisk to stiff, glossy peaks.

4. 4

   Fold a third of the meringue into the chocolate base to loosen it, then gently fold in the rest in two additions, keeping as much air as you can.

5. 5

   Divide between the ramekins, run a thumb around the inner rim to make a groove, and bake for 12–14 minutes: the sides should be set and the centres still trembling.

6. 6

   Serve the second they leave the oven — a soufflé's rise has a shorter lifespan than a conversation.