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Cheese custard (Cyse Briw)

Cheese custard in earthenware dish with wooden spoon. Bread board with loaf of bread and one slice cut with cheese custard spread onto it. Buff linen surface. For cheese custard recipe.

This recipe uses staple Anglo-Saxon ingredients such as cheese and eggs and also includes ingredients that had been introduced in Romano-Britain such as pepper and cumin.  Originally the dish would have used a hard cheese and fresh curds from cheesemaking.  The combination of cottage cheese and ricotta makes a pretty good substitute.  However, if you live near a dairy farm and can get hold of some fresh curds that would be ideal.

Equipment

  • Weighing scales
  • Baking dish
  • 2 medium mixing bowls

Preparation method

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.
  • Grease the baking dish generously with butter.
  • Place the cottage cheese and ricotta in a mixing bowl and beat together.
  • Add the cubed hard cheese and stir in thoroughly.
  • Place the cheese mixture in the bottom of the baking dish.
  • Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric hand whisk.
  • Add the remaining ingredients, apart from the breadcrumbs, and whisk to fully incorporate all the ingredients
  • Pour the custard over the cheeses and place in the oven.
  • Bake for half an hour. After half an hour remove from the oven and scatter with the breadcrumbs and dot with the knobs of butter. Return to the oven and bake for another half hour.
  • Take out of the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving with slices of bread.

Tip: To make breadcrumbs, the best way is to place chunks of bread into a blender and whizz.  You may need to turn the blender off occasionally and push the bread pieces down with a wooden spoon
More cheese recipes
Gloucester cheese and ale
Homity pie
Ploughman’s lunch

Anglo-Saxon

Serves:
8
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 200 g cottage cheese
  • 100 g ricotta cheese
  • 400 g hard cheese such as cheddar, cut into 5mm cubes
  • 6 medium eggs
  • 200 ml double cream
  • 55 g plain flour, sifted
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp celery seeds
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp mustard powder
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 an onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 40 g fresh white breadcrumbs
  • A few knobs of butter

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Cheese custard (Cyse Briw)
Serving Size
 
170 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
448
Percent of Daily Value*
Fat
 
34
g
52
%
Saturated Fat
 
20
g
125
%
Cholesterol
 
219
mg
73
%
Sodium
 
547
mg
24
%
Potassium
 
160
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
 
14
g
5
%
Fiber
 
0.6
g
3
%
Sugar
 
2.3
g
3
%
Protein
 
21
g
42
%
Calcium
 
448
mg
45
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Keywords

Anglo-Saxon, Cheese, Eggs

© Dr Caroline Gordon 
2026
Illustrations by Chichi Parish
Site by Anselm Eustace