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1
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter 6 (3/4 cup/6-ounce) ramekins with 4 teaspoons of the butter. (I used one large round casserole dish for half the recipe and made one large one just fine).
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2
Combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese and use to dust the bottoms and sides of each ramekin.
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3
Set inside a roasting pan large enough to hold the cups without touching.
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4
In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute.
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5
Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens slightly and forms a light roux, 2 to 3 minutes.
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6
Add the milk, and bring to a boil. Simmer, whisking, until thick, 2 to 3 minutes.
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7
Remove from the heat. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time, whisking after each addition. Add the cheese, tarragon, salt, and pepper, and stir to incorporate.
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8
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks just form. Stir 1/4 of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.
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9
Gently fold the remaining egg whites into the yolks in 3 additions.
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10
Divide among the prepared custard cups and fill the roasting pan with warm water to come half way up the sides of the ramekins.
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11
Bake without opening the oven door until slightly puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
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12
Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Let rest uncovered for 30 minutes. Run a thin, sharp knife around the edges of the ramekins to release the souffles. (Note: souffles can be covered at this point in plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight.).
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13
Increase the oven temperature to 425u00b0F Bake the souffles until puffed and heated through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven.
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14
If you are serving this on wilted spinach, it gets tricky. Have all the ingredients ready before returning the souffles to the oven. When the souffles have been in for 5 minutes, put the spinach in the pan. At that point, get everyone to the table and hurry.
