Bake

Baked Parmesan & Gruyère Savoury Custard

Name: Baked Parmesan & Gruyère Savoury Custard
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 100ml milk; 350ml cream; 2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in large pieces; sprig of thyme; 100g grated Parmesan; 100g grated Gruyère; pinch of salt; pinch of white pepper; 4 eggs; 3 egg yolks

Cook: 45 mins
Serves: Serves 8
Difficulty: Medium
Method: Oven

Baked parmesan and Gruyère savoury custard in a white ramekin with cress

Ingredients

100ml milk
350ml cream
2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in large pieces
sprig of thyme
100g grated Parmesan
100g grated Gruyère
pinch of salt
pinch of white pepper
4 eggs
3 egg yolks

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C and very lightly butter 8 ramekins.
In a heavy saucepan, warm the milk, cream, garlic and thyme over a gentle heat. As it warms up, add the grated cheeses slowly and keep stirring until they have melted. Season with the salt and white pepper. Do not let the mixture boil but rather keep it heating gently. When finished, pass the sauce through a sieve to take out the thyme and garlic. Place in the fridge to cool down. In a large bowl whisk the eggs and egg yolks. Add the cooled cheese sauce slowly and keep whisking until combined. I always pass the custard through a sieve again to ensure there are no hidden lumps. The custard is now ready to bake. Divide the mixture into the ramekins and place in a deep oven tray. Pour water into the tray around the ramekins – it should come 2–3cm up the sides. It is very important to cook the custards in water like this – it is called a bain-marie. Bake the custards for an hour or until set. When they are ready, either let them rest for a few minutes before unmoulding them from their ramekins or sprinkle them with leftover cheese, brown them under a grill and serve in the ramekins. Serve with a green salad or, if in season, they are wonderful with fresh asparagus.