Savoury cheese custard baked in a water bath
Easier-to-swallow option below ↓Eggs72 kcal, milk122 kcal, cream and a generous amount of cheese110 kcal, whisked together and baked slowly until they just barely set. The result sits somewhere between a flan and the inside of a very good quiche, soft enough to eat with a spoon and savoury enough to be dinner.
Why it works
Egg dishes turn rubbery when they cook too fast, so we bake this in a water bath at a low oven temperature. The water keeps the heat steady and the custard silky, with the herbs and the last scatter of cheese forming a tender top rather than a crust.
For anyone working on weight gain, this is a quiet workhorse: eggs, cream and a cup and a half of cheese put around 490 calories in each serving without any bulk to push through. It is just as happy warm as at room temperature, so nobody has to rush to the table.
Pull it when the centre still wobbles; it finishes setting in the dish.
Savoury cheese custard baked in a water bath
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk149 kcal
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups grated cheese (cheddar113 kcal, gruyere or a mix)
- 1/2 tsp salt, pinch of nutmeg
- Soft herbs: chives, parsley or dill, finely chopped
- Butter102 kcal for the dish
Method
- Heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Butter a medium baking dish or four small ramekins.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, most of the cheese, salt and nutmeg until smooth.
- Pour into the dish, scatter the remaining cheese and herbs on top.
- Place the dish in a roasting tin and pour hot water around it to come halfway up the sides.
- Bake 35–45 minutes until just set with a slight wobble in the centre. Serve warm or at room temperature.
A slice of this with a few soft cooked vegetables on the side makes a complete, very gentle meal.
Make it your own
- Make individual ramekins for easy portions and freezing.
- Add a handful of very soft cooked spinach7 kcal or peas62 kcal through the custard for colour and a little more nourishment.
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