Chocolate souffle

Brush the ramekins with melted butter all the way to the top, then dust the inside with about a tablespoon of sugar each and tip out the excess.

Break dark chocolate into a metal bowl and set it over hot -- not boiling, not simmering -- water so it stays loose.

Melt butter over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook the roux about a minute.

Lower the heat and whisk in the cold milk until it smooths out and thickens, then transfer it into the chocolate.

Add a pinch of salt and a small shake of cayenne, stir, then mix in the egg yolk.

Whip two egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar to the ribbon stage, add the sugar in three or four additions whisking about 30 seconds between each, then whip to peaks that hold but are not dry.

Stir about 40 percent of the whites into the chocolate to lighten it, then fold in the rest until the white just disappears.

Fill the ramekins to the lip, wipe any drips off the edges, and set them on a sheet pan.

Bake in the centre of a 375 degree oven for about 12 to 15 minutes.

Dust with cocoa and serve at once, before it falls.