World Milk Day might not have quite the same ring to it as World Tequila Day but you can’t deny there’s a lot to love about dairy. Milk is the main ingredient in many of our favourite foods (ice cream! chocolate! cheese! coffee!) and here in Australia, we should be proud of the fact that we produce some of the world’s best.

Before pouring out your celebratory glass of the good stuff, the annual calendar day marks a good time to reflect on the Australian dairy industry, which has experienced the hardships of drought, bushfires and coronavirus over the last few years.

“Dairy farmers are still doing it pretty tough,” says restaurateur and fourth-generation farmer, Matt Moran. “Prices for milk really haven’t gone up much in the last twenty years. It’s not an easy industry. It’s a seven day a week job,” he said.

Supporting the Australia dairy industry is fairly straightforward, Matt said. “Buy as much milk as you can, eat more cheese, eat more dairy. Just make sure it is Australian and buy local when you can. The more you pay for your milk the better it is for the farmer. It may cost a little bit more, but buying the branded stuff really does help.”

It’s important to remember that milk is the lifeblood of many of our country towns. “When dairy farms go under, it affects the whole community,” Moran added. “They are the fabric of rural towns and when they disappear, the whole town disappears. It would be really sad if it came to a situation where we had to import our milk – nobody wants that.”

So raise a glass to World Milk Day! Or better yet, have a go at making Matt Moran’s twice-baked cheese souffle.

Twice-Cooked Cheese Souffle
Serves 4

60g salted butter
60g plain flour
380ml milk, warm
110g Monforte cheese, grated – or an Australian Gruyere-style cheese or hard cheddar
5 eggs, separated

Speck and onion cream sauce

375ml cream
30ml olive oil
100g speck bacon, diced
½ brown onion, finely diced
40g Monforte cheese, grated – or an Australian Gruyere-style cheese or hard cheddar
½ bunch chives, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees
2. Lightly butter and flour four souffle moulds
3. Place a small saucepan on a medium heat and melt the butter, add in the flour and stir through until combined. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the flour is cooked out and has a sandy consistency. Whisk in the warm milk and continue to mix until combined and the mixture becomes thick. Stir through the cheese until melted, remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Whilst waiting for the cheese mix to cool, place the egg whites into a mixing bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form.
5. Add the egg yolks to the cheese mix one at a time and mix with a spoon until combined, repeat this process until all egg yolks are combined. Place the mix into a large mixing bowl. Gently fold ¼ of the whisked egg whites into the mix until combined and continue this process until all egg whites of combined into the mix.
6. Spoon the mixture into the souffle moulds leaving 1 cm from the top of the mould. Place the souffle moulds into a deep baking tray and pour in warm water to halfway up the souffle moulds. Place into a pre-heated oven for 20 – 25 mins until the souffle has risen and the top is golden brown, remove from the oven and leave to cool.
7. For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a saucepan, sweat of the onions until translucent add in the diced speck and continue cooking for a further 4 -5 mins until golden brown
8. Add in the cream and bring to a simmer, stir through the grated cheese bring back to a simmer and remove from the heat.
9. Gently remove the souffles from the moulds and place into a baking dish, pour the sauce on the base of the baking dish and place back into the oven for 20 mins until the souffles are golden brown. Remove from the oven and place the souffles onto a serving plate. Stir the chopped chives through the sauce and spoon the sauce over the souffles, serve with a fresh garden salad. Enjoy.