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Preheat the oven to 400F.
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Generously butter six 8-ounce ramekins or one 6-cup jumbo muffin tin or silicone muffin mold.
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To prepare the spinach, in a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
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Add the shallot and cook until soft and translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
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Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds.
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Add the well-drained spinach and season with cayenne, salt, and pepper.
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Continue cooking, stirring, until the mixture is well combined and all the moisture has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
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Set aside.
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To prepare the bechamel sauce, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
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Whisk in the flour, and cook until foaming but not browned, about 1 minute.
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Whisk in the warmed milk.
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Bring to a boil over high heat.
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Once it is at a boil, continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
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Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
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You will use two-thirds of this sauce as the base for the souffles.
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The remaining one-third will be the coating sauce at the end.
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Transfer one-third of the sauce to a small saucepan.
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Add the half-and-half and stir to combine.
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Set aside.
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Stir the spinach into the larger amount of sauce; taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
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Add the egg yolks one at a time, stirring between each addition.
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Set aside.
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To make the souffles, in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt on medium speed until foamy.
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Increase the speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.
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To lighten the souffle, add about one-fourth of the beaten egg whites to the spinach-sauce mixture and whisk until well mixed.
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Pour this mixture over the remaining whites and fold together until smooth.
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Fill the prepared ramekins with the mixture.
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Place them on a baking sheet and bake until the souffles are puffed and browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
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Leave the oven on.
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Transfer the souffles to a rack and cool slightly.
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Turn out each souffle into a large gratin dish or casserole.
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If the souffles stick, release them by running a butter knife or offset spatula around the rims.
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Set aside.
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To finish the souffles, bring the reserved cream sauce to a boil over medium-high heat.
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Add the mustard and 1/4 cup of the Gruyere cheese.
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Stir to combine, then taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
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Spoon the sauce over the souffles to coat, then sprinkle each evenly with the remaining 1/4 cup Gruyere.
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(The dish may be made to this point and held at room temperature for up to 1 hour or covered in the refrigerator for up 24 hours.
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However, it is important to bring the dish to room temperature before browning.)
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Bake the sauce-covered souffles in the gratin dish until browned and bubbling, 7 to 10 minutes.
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Serve immediately.
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Whether called bechamel (French), balsamella (Italian), or white sauce, this classic sauce is based on a thickener (a roux) made of butter and flour that is whisked together with milk.
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Simple seasonings include nutmeg, salt, and pepper, but the flavor is improved if the milk is first infused with aromatics like bay leaf and peppercorns.
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It is as simple as making tea: place the milk and aromatics in a pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
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Remove from the heat and let rest for about 10 minutes; strain out and discard the aromatics.
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Bechamel sauce is the workhorse of cuisine.
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You can change its consistency by varying the proportions of roux to milk.
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The more roux, the thicker the sauce, and vice versa.
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Thin sauces are used as bases for soups and other sauces.
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Add cheese, for example, and its Sauce Mornay.
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A medium bechamel sauce is used for coating and in vegetarian lasagna.
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Thick bechamel is the base for savory souffles.
