Making a souffle can be tricky at the best of times. Here are 8 secrets to ensuring you have the maximum chance of success.

Secrets to a successful souffle:

1. The souffle mixture should fill the souffle dish by 2/3 to 3/4;

2. Prepare the souffle dish by rubbing the inside of the dish lightly with unsalted butter;

3. Cut a strip of doubled greaseproof paper, 20 centimetres wide and long enough to overlap the outside of the souffle dish by at least 5 centimetres. Fold the strip along one of the long sides, turning it down by 5 centimetres. Butter the strip above the fold so that the butter is between the souffle mixture and the paper. Fasten the paper around the souffle dish with string so that the fold is at the bottom and turned toward the dish. The buttered section should stand above the rim of the dish by about 10 centimetres;

4. Whip the egg whites by hand and whip them thoroughly. Best is a wire whisk in a copper, china or earthenware bowl;

5. When you add the egg white, stir in a small quantity, with a metal spoon, first;

6. The souffle must be cooked in the centre of the oven with no shelf above it. Do NOT open the oven door while a souffle is cooking;

7. Serve the souffle immediately it has finished cooking;

8. The final secret is to add 1 extra egg white to the yolks when preparing your souffle. Trust me, it works wonders!

Ingredients:

115 grams Plain Chocolate (grated)

2 tablespoons Water

285 millilitres Milk

2 heaped tablespoons Castor Sugar

3 drops Vanilla Essence

1 tablespoon Flour

1 dessertspoon Arrowroot

30 grams Unsalted Butter

3 Egg Yolk

4 Egg White

1 heaped teaspoon Icing Sugar (sifted)

You will also need a 20 centimetre diameter souffle dish.

Method

Lightly butter the inside of the souffle dish.

Prepare the band around the dish (see above).

Set the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

Melt the chocolate in the water over a slow heat.

Once the chocolate is completely melted, add the milk.

Bring the chocolate milkto the boil and then add the sugar and vanilla.

Cover the pan and remove it from the heat.

Mix the flour and arrowroot with 4 tablespoons of milk.

Pour this into the chocolate milk.

Return to the heat and bring to the boil stirring continuously.

Boil for 3 seconds and then remove from the heat again.

Dot the surface with small pieces of butter.

Cover and allow to stand for 5 minutes.

Now stir the butter in thoroughly.

Beat in the egg yolks one at a time.

Whip the egg whites until they are firm.

Stir one tablespoon of egg white into the mixture.

Now stir in the remainder.

Pour the mixture into the prepared souffle dish.

Bake in the preset oven for 20 minutes.

Slide out the shelf with the souffle on it and dust the top of the souffle with the sifted icing sugar.

Slide the shelf with the souffle back again and allow 5 more minutes for the top to caramelise.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

For an even lighter and fluffier souffle an extra egg white can be added to the mixture.