This is one of my all-time favourite soufflé recipes. I mean who doesn't like rice pudding and soufflé and combined? They are just a great marriage.

Soufflé is a word which can strike fear into even the most accomplished of chefs, so I'll show you how to ensure they rise to the occasion every time! And please don't be scared, they really aren't that difficult to make.

It is a dessert which can command the admiration of diners and with so many variations; it is a great recipe to have up your sleeve. Over the years the difficulty behind preparing the dish has been somewhat exaggerated, causing a lot of people to shudder at the thought of it (probably not helped by its name, the French verb 'souffler' literally means "to blow up"). It really isn't that problematic though, and if you follow my recipe you can easily master it.

In France, soufflé is regarded as "one of the great miracles of the French kitchen" and a true cornerstone of cuisine. The classic dessert, which can also be served as a savoury dish, should always contain two elements; a strongly flavoured base and a meringue made of egg whites. The base provides the flavour while the egg whites provide the lift. You can breathe a sigh of relief when your soufflé comes out the oven puffed and fluffy, but make sure you get it to the dinner table before it starts to fall!

Makes 2 soufflés, you will need 2 ramekins

Rice Pudding Base

Ingredients

For the rice pudding soufflé base

25g unsalted butter

55g pudding rice

260ml full fat milk

260ml double cream

1 vanilla pod (split in half lengthways)

55g caster sugar

Pinch of sea salt

Method

1  Preheat the oven to 120C

2  Melt the butter in an oven-proof pan, add the pudding rice and fry gently for 3 minutes

3  Add the milk, cream, vanilla pod, sugar and a pinch of sea salt

4 Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, stirring frequently for 20 minutes or until the mixture is thick

5  Cover with a lid and bake the rice in the oven for an hour, stirring every 20 minutes until the mixture has thickened even more

6  Remove the rice from the oven, transfer to a blender and blend to a smooth puree

Meringue

Ingredients

200g egg whites

80g caster sugar

Method

1  Brush the ramekins with softened butter then dip into a bowl of caster sugar

2  Shake the sugar around the ramekins so that it is evenly coated, then tip out any excess

3  Preheat the oven to 170C

4  Warm 250g of the rice pudding purée in a saucepan and place it into a large bowl

5  Whisk the egg whites and as soon as they start to turn white and increase in volume gradually add the sugar and continue whisking until you have a stiff meringue that hold its peaks

6  Gently fold this into the rice pudding base

7  Fill the two soufflé moulds and level the tops with a palate knife. Bake the soufflés for 8-10 minutes or until risen and golden brown

Serve immediately