Recipe: Savoury cheesecake

Cheese cake, sneakin’ out the back door

Goats’ Curd and Herb Savoury Cheesecake with Tomato Jam and Pesto Oil

I have a friend who does not like cheese*. I think he is weird, because what’s not to like? I tell him so with regularity, which he takes in good humour! For reasons not worth detailing here, we happened to have far too much parmesan cheese and were looking for an excuse to use a batch in one go. We were also entertaining that week and figured that a savoury cheese cake would be an excellent choice for a starter which could be made in advance, but still taste delicious on the day.

This dish is quite a cheese fest, with light goat’s curd mixed with thyme and a buttery melt-in-the-mouth parmesan short-bread biscuit base. Accompanying the cheese cake is a zingy, sweet tomato jam and pesto oil. You can substitute with fruity chutneys too.

Your cheese lover friends will hopefully enjoy this every bit as we did. Plus, you may get lucky and have a slice or two left over for brunch the next day. Enjoy with a Muscat or fruity light red wine. Alternatively, serve in lieu of a cheese course with a fruity tawny port.

* Except for mozzarella as “it doesn’t taste of anything”.

Prep time: 45 min

Cook time: 1 hour 30 min

Total time: 2 hours 15 min

Yield: One 20cm (8”) cake (8 servings)

Parmesan Crust Ingredients

• Flour: 125 grams
• Butter: 85 grams
• Parmesan cheese: 100 grams, freshly grated
• Cayenne pepper: 1/2 tsp

Filling Ingredients

• Goat milk curds (or ricotta if not available): 300 grams
• Cream cheese: 250 grams
• Eggs: 4 medium sized plus 1 egg white
• Regular cream cheese: 250 grams
• Salt: pinch
• Freshly chopped chives: 1 tablespoon
• Fresh thyme leaves, chopped: 1 tablespoon

Tomato Jam Ingredients

• Coarsley chopped tomatoes: 250 grams
• Shallot: 1 medium
• Soft brown sugar: 40 grams
• Salt: 1 teaspoon
• Ground coriander: 1/2 teaspoon
• Cumin: 1/4 teaspoon
• Cider vinegar: 40ml

Pesto Oil Ingredients

• Fresh basil leaves: 150 grams
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese: 30 grams
• Toasted pine nuts: 20 grams
• Extra virgin olive oile: 50ml

Method:

To make the parmesan shortbread

1. Mix the butter and flour together until you get a breadcrumb like texture. Use the paddle attachment if using an electric mixer.
2. Add the parmesan and cayenne pepper and mix until even. Try not to over mix.
3. Form the mixtre into a ball of dough and cover in cling film and refrigerate for an hour to allow the gluten in the flour to settle.
4. Remove the cling film and roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 3/4 of a centimeter.
5. Use a knife or a cutter to cut “cookies” from the dough into 5cm sections (they don't have to look perfect because you're going to smash them up later) and place onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
6. Return to the fridge for another hour.
7. Preheat the oven to 180C (Gas mark 4) and bake for 14 minutes or until they are golden in colour.
8. Use Use a spatula to remove the cookies from the tray and leave to cool completely on a cooling rack.

To make the cheesecake

1. Place the parmesan shorbread into a freezer bag and smash up with a rolling pin into a coarse consistency.
2. Melt the butter in a small pan, then add the crumbs and mix well.
3. Spread the crumbs over the base of a tall 20cm springform cake tin. Press down firmly with a glass until it is flat and well compacted.
4. Place the tin with the base into a preheated oven at 180C (gas mark 4) for 15 minutes
5. Put the goats curd and cream cheese into a large mixing bowl and stir with a whisk until smooth and soft.
6. Mix in the soured cream, chives, and thyme.
7. Beat the 4 eggs together and add to the mixture bit by bit, beating just until a smooth consistency is reached.
8. Take the tin out of the oven and brush the surface of the base lightly with egg white.
9. Turn the oven down to 110C (Gas Mark 2). Keep the door open for a minute or two to help it to cool down.
10. When the base has cooled, pour the filling mixture into the tin, and shake gently to level it.
11. Put the tin onto a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 1½ hours until it has almost set but still a bit wobbly in the middle
12. Run a thin spatula around the edge to separate the cake from the tin, then turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to cool completely inside before taking it out and refrigerating

To make the tomato jam

1. Place tomatoes into a pan with the rest of the ingredients, bring to the boil and lower to a gentle simmer for 2 hours until a thick sticky jammy consistency is reached
2. Allow to cool before transferring to a sterilised jar and keep refrigerated.

To make the pesto

1. Toast the pine nuts
2. Put all ingredients into a food procesor with a chopping blade and pulse until a coarse but even consistency is reached

By Wennie’s Affairs August 30th, 2011

Recipe: Pasta with pork sausage and spinach topped with garlic bread croutons

All energy fennel, all becomes you

If you love pasta, you may agree that it is easy to fall into habits where you end up preparing the same dishes with almost ritualistic regularity. We all have our favourite pasta dishes, but if you want to expand your repertoire to include another relatively quick meal, with an added twist of originality, then try this.

Good quality pork sausage meal is skinned and tossed into pasta, baby leaf spinach and garlic bread croutons. The mashed up pork and crunchy bread keeps the dish alive with texture. The distinctive flavour of fennel is very characteristic of an Italian dish of this kind. Fennel can be overwhelming, in this dish it is very subdued.

We enjoyed our pasta with a glass of Valpolicella Ripasso wine from Waitrose (£10.44) a strong flavour with ripe red berry undertones and vegetable.

Ingedients

• 175g pasta
• 125g Pork sausages, skins removed
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed or grated
• 75g Pecorino Romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 crusty rolls or 75g crusty bread cut into 1cm dice
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 60g baby spinach leaves
• 50g sun dried tomatoes, chopped
• 175ml dry Italian red wine

Method

1. Boil your pasta according to packet instructions.
2. Sauté the sausage meat for 6 minutes until brown.
3. Whilst the sausage meat cooks, heat olive oil in another pan, add 1/3 of the garlic with the cubes of bread and oregano. Fry the bread until you have golden coloured croutons.
4. Once the meat has browned, remove from the pan into a large bowl
5. Add the onions and 2/3 of the garlic to the pan and fry gently for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly brown. Add the red wine to the onion to deglaze the pan and simmer for another 2 minutes.
6. Add the onion mixture to the sausage meat.
7. Add the spinach, fennel, sun dried tomatoes, a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Stir until the spinach has slightly wilted.
8. Stir the sausage mixture into the pasta with 2 tablespoons of the cooking water to add texture.
9. Serve in a pasta dish and top with the croutons and grated cheese.

Wine Paring

Waitrose Ripasso di Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Fratelli Recchia 2008 Veneto, Italy (£10.44 from Waitrose) A positively dry red with clearly defined red fruits and vegetable notes coming through the mid palate. There is also a dash of spice that held together beautifully with the fennel in the sauce.

Recipe: Savoury bread and butter pudding with bacon chunks and cheddar cheese

It's pudding time children

Whilst everyone has been tossing pancakes we had a moment when we realised we had no unfrozen food at home.  On closer examination it turned out we had half a loaf of focaccia that Keith had made on the weekend, plus a few other essentials one tends to have knocking around the fridge; cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms and smoked gammon. In true Lent “clear your cupboards out for fasting style” we threw together a savoury bread and butter pudding.

We ate the bread and butter pudding straight from the oven.  The bacon chunks, textures of soft and crusty cheesey bread makes this superb comfort food.  It is also an extremely thrifty meal. 

Ingredients

• Thick Bread slices to fill your chosen dish, buttered on both side.  We used focaccia and buttered with olive oil spread
• Smoked Pork Loin, cut into chunks and roasted for 15 minutes
• 1 Shallot, finely chopped
• Button mushrooms, a generous handful, sliced
• 2 Eggs
• 250ml milk
• 100g of cheddar cheese, grated. We used half fat
• Baby plum tomatoes, cut in slices lengthways
• Sprigs of rosemary
• Pepper to season

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 or 180C
2. Layer the bread sliced in your dish
3. Place the mushrooms, gammon, and shallots within the slices
4. Beat the eggs until frothy
5. Add the milk and beat for a further 30 seconds.  Season with pepper
6. Add the cheese and a few sprigs of rosemary
7. Pour the egg mixture over your bread
8. Dot the tomatoes and whole sprigs of rosemary in the dish
9. Place in the oven for 25 minutes or until crusty and golden 

Serve with a side salad or soup. 

Recipe: Ham and cheese toastie sandwiches

Thinking of all the ham and cheese sandwiches

No, it is not a croque monsieur.  Neither is it savoury French toast.  Nor is it welsh rarebit. 

It has been a week since we returned from France and I never thought I would get to the point where I craved cheese or ham.  I did though.  In fact, I had this concept which I outlined to Keith, and we took it one step further where we would actually create an eggy roux-coating around the cheese and ham sandwich and bake it until crispy. 

Yes, it is more involved than a sandwich should be, but our golden, crunchy, toasties make a delectable brunch or snack treat. 

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 8 slices of soft white bread
• 50g plain white flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 50g butter
• 50g grated mature cheddar cheese, we used Lincolnshire
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• Pinch of nutmeg 
• 75g sliced smoked ham
• 300ml milk
• 50ml buttermilk

Method

1. Make a white roux by melting half of the butter in a pan on a low to medium heat, add half of the flour and stir until combined.
2. Add 2/3 of the milk to the roux a little at a time and stir continuously until there are no lumps. 
3. Stir in the cheese gradually. Add the mustard, nutmeg and Worcestershire sauce and stir again. The mixture should resemble a smooth paste. Remove from the heat.
4. Butter both sides of the bread.
5. Make 4 sandwiches using the ham and some of the cheese paste. Be careful not too spread the cheese on too thick.
6. Use a cookie cutter at this point if you want to make a shape but this is optional. Place side by side in a large shallow dish.
7. Whisk the egg with the rest of the milk and the butter milk. 
8. Whisk in 2 generous tbsp of the cheese paste with the remainder of flour and the baking powder and pour over the sandwiches.
9. Ensure they are evenly coated in the mixture.
10. If you have time, place in the fridge for 20 minutes to allow the mixture to soak into the bread.
11. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas mark 5. Transfer to a greased oven tray and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden. If using firmer bread, you may want to extend this but it should be light and crispy on the exterior when cooked.

Wine Paring

Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages –  Combe Aux Jacques 2009 (£8.99 from Waitrose) Distinctive red berry characteristics with a robust body that works well with the strong flavours of the cheese and ham

Recipe: Pizza Pinwheels, Hors d'oeuvres perfect for New Year's Eve

Big wheels keep on turning

Friends of ours invited us to their beautiful barn conversion in the Essex countryside. I had enthusiastically promised I would bring an appetiser having spied a blogging opportunity and of course because we love cooking. We were due to leave at 2pm and at 12:30pm we were still glumly starring at a packet of puff pastry. Then inspiration struck.  Pizza pin wheels.  We used ingredients you will find in your pantry and fridge. Bearing in mind that you can buy similar snacks to these in Waitrose for around £4, you can make these for a fraction of the cost!  As always, at Wennie's Affairs, we encourage you to have fun and be inventive. You can experiment with a whole variety of fillings as you would on a pizza; spinach and ricotta, chicken tikka, mexican ground chilli.  Plus you can even make dessert varieties with left over sweet mince meat (which never made it into those mince pies) and drizzled with icing. They are perfect for a New Year's Eve gathering. 

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of puff pastry
• 3 tbsp pesto 
• 1/3 Yellow Pepper
• 3 small tomatoes
• 100g prosciutto ham
• 60g Parmesan cheese
• Milk for brushing
• 2 tsp Dried oregano
• Black pepper

Method:

1. Roll out the pastry onto a lightly floured surface.
2. Brush the pesto evenly over the rolled out pastry.
3. Remove the seeds from the tomato (very important to avoid excess moisture) and finely chop with the pepper and spread on top of the pesto layer.
4. Chop up the ham and evenly distribute over the the peppers and tomatoes.
5. Sprinkle three quarters of the grated parmesan cheese over the ham and grind over some black pepper as the final layer.
6. Starting from one of the short edges roll the pastry up as tightly as you can until it becomes a long roll.
7. Use a sharp knife to cut about 16 discs about 1cm thick and lay out evenly onto a non-stick baking sheet allowing enough room for them to puff up.
8. Preheat the oven to 190C or gas Mark 5. 
9. Leave in the fridge for 20 minutes.
10. Brush the top-side of the wheels with the milk mixed with oregano and the remainder of the Parmesan cheese.  Cook for 20 minutes until golden.

The mixture can be prepared in advance the night before baking and then the rest of method will take less than 10 minutes.

They are a lovely herby and peppery amuse bouche.  Our friend Claire, popped them in the oven for 5 minutes to heat.  We then washed these little treats down with Champagne- our friends know how to look after us.    

Related posts:

• Recipe: Parmesan Shortbread Canapes With a Selection of Cheese Toppings
• Recipe: 3 Way Pork Eastern Dim Sum Hors d’Oeuvres
• Recipe: Jamaican Inspired Spicy Lamb and Sweet Potato Patties (Empanadas)

Review: Tierra Brindisa in Soho. Authentic Tapas in London.

I'm on tapas the world looking down on creation

We were close to desperation when we spotted Tierra Brindisa from across the t-junction between Broadwick Street and Lexington Street in Soho.  Both our pre-planned lunch options had failed us by being closed after 3pm.  We had tried several places off the cuff, but like Mary and Joseph we were turned away.  There was no room at the inn.  We were wandering through Soho like hyenas on the prowl.  Across the stone clad street, we spotted an unassuming green door.  It beckoned invitingly like the transom into Never, Neverland.  On close inspection it was Tierra Brindisa, sister restaurant to Tapas Brindisa in Borough Market.  In between gnawing at Keith's femur, I managed to utter the simple words “Are you still serving?” at the Waitress.  She answered yes and beckoned us to pole position in the corner leather seats on the frontline of the restaurant

We shrugged of our Christmas baggage and immediately sought refuge in the wine list where a cheeky Conde de Valdemar Crianza 2006 beckoned seductively.  It might as well have been steaming hot Ribena as this was seriously quaffable.  This wine has tobacco and black pepper undertones but the dominant Tempranillo grape (90%) gives this it an amazing Jessica Rabbit appeal… full bodied. 

Keith and I settled in and noticed they had borrowed out chill out music from home, which was a big mistake on their part as we had decided we were now part of the furniture based on the Conde de Valdemar.,

We were not in a rush, especially after knowing there was only Christmas shopping on the other side of that green door, so decided to order our Tapas Spanish stylée, that is, as required.  We are all about the dried cured meats (I like to pretend it contributes to my Atkins diet), so we ordered a charcuterie plate of spicy chorizo, peppery salchichon and Teruel ham and loin.  Our platter was served with bread and a gloopy olive oil.  Amazing.  The charcuterie plate was everything we believe in.  Happy pigs skulking around the countryside being happy some more, and then when reincarnated, are happy tasty dried cured meats.  Simple, pure ingredients of high quality that have been cared for. 

Later we chose our tapas; Ham and chicken croquetas, octopus a la gallega, revuelto of eggs with wild mushrooms and truffle oil and prawns al ajillo, served with herby salad dressed in a moscatel vinaigrette.  The croquetas were piping hot, crispy on the outside with a smooth paste consistency on the inside, bar tiny nibs of ham.  They were of course accompanied by the food nod.  The chilli, garlic prawns had been served at the same time. We have to admit, initially we were a little disappointed.  My mother makes restaurant quality prawns and we did not really feel that that they compared.  We were promised garlic and expected it. We then had the idea of basting and turning over our pink friends.  We left them a few minutes and retired to the revuelto, which was a good move.  When we returned to our rosy crustaceans it was as it should be; pungent and powerful.  The revuelto was yummy. The truffle oil was not too over powering, but nonetheless aromatic and rich.  It was the deal breaker to the dish which would have otherwise been scrambled eggs and 'shrooms.  Our favourite tapas was the octopus a la gallega. We do not shy from our eight-legged mate, who so many think is tougher than OJ Simpson.  But no, the octopus was cooked perfectly and full of flavour. The accompanying sautéed potatoes were spicy and offered a contrast in texture to the tenderised octopus.  You must try this dish you make it to Tierra Brindisa, as this is how Octopus should be cooked. 

We were on a roll. The Baked la Bauma cheesecake, made from goats cheese and accompanied with tomato jam, streaks of honey and a dusting of cinnamon was the only choice for us (we shared).  We decided on Finca Antigua (Moscatel) from the La Mancha region as our dessert wine. We loved the rich and unusual flavours incorporated in this dessert but they work best in unison.  Could they not be somehow brought together?  This would mean that whilst I chat away (as I invariably do) and forget to run my spoon through the honey, I do not feel like I lucked out with my mouthful.  By the way, it is undeniable that goats cheese and tomatoes are a winning combinations.  We have not had such an uncontrived dessert in a while.

Last but not least, Cheese.  The cheese board selection had an abundance of variety; Goats cheese, Manchego, Mahon cow's milk cheese and Valdeón Picos de Europa.  Then enhancing the favours of the cheeses were quince paste, red grapes, tomato jam and an almond fig roulade.  Keith is all about the variety so the ample choice was heaven for him. The xylophone of mild to strong cheese also allows the diner to enjoy a full range of regional cheese.  This was one of the most comprehensive selections of cheeses we have experience in a while. 

I want to stop here in our synopsis of “lunch”.  I will use that word lightly as at one stage I was almost begging the waitress to “let us go”.  Like she had some magic hold over us.  Minx.  It might have been the delectable wine or the prospect of more Christmas shopping, but the lure of drinking the granacha and seeking sanctuary in Tierra Brindisa was too enticing!  There were two more glasses of wine and a guest appearance from my sister, and we left smugly satisfied we had evaded the last of the Christmas shopping, at least until this morning…

Related Posts

• A trip down to Borough Market
• Recipe: Octopus Curry, An Authentic Taste of Seychelles

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Recipe: Parmesan Shortbread Canapes With a Selection of Cheese Toppings

Long bread to the short bread, word is bond

Three varieties of toppings from left to right: Pesto gouda with piece of tomato, goats cheese and onion marmalade, mozzarella , tomato and basil

Yummy cheesy bite-sized parmesan biscuits.  We made these mozzarella and cherry tomato shortbread biscuits about five years ago for one of our dinner parties and thought we would resurrect them tonight and add a a few more varieties of topping.  If you are intrigued by the leafy green cheese, it is pesto gouda from Amsterdam.  It was amazing and perfect with the parmesan.  The caramelised red onion jam was adapted from a recipe on The Complete Cook Book Blog by Mandy Frielinghaus.  Thanks Mandy it was great! 

These little mouthfuls of joy are great as the dough can be prepared up to twenty-four hours in advance of your gathering.  You can also let your imagination run wild on toppings.  These pair well with champagne, especially the mozzarella.

Shortbread ingredients (makes about 40)

• 115g plain white flour
• 100g unsalted butter, diced
• 85g grated parmesan cheese
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• Extra flour for dusting

To make the shortbread

1. Sift the flour into a bowl with the butter and mix with your hands
2. When the mixture gets to a bread crumb consistency, add the cheese, salt and cayenne and continue mixing with your hands
3. When the mixture has combined, dust a surface with flour and roll the dough into a ball.
4. Cover the dough with cling film and leave in the fridge for at least an hour
5. Remove the dough and roll into a sheet about 1/2cm thick
6. Use a small cookie cutter to cut out the individual short breads and place onto a baking sheet lined with grease proof paper
7. Return the uncooked shortbread into the fridge for a further 30 minutes to an hour.
8. Preheat the oven to 170C or gas mark 5 and place the biscuits in to cook for 10 to 12 minutes until they are an even golden colour

Onion marmalade ingredients

• 2 medium red onions
• 1 bay leaf
• 2/3 cup of sherry vinegar
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 125g soft brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• A dash of Worcester sauce

To make the Onion Marmalade

1. Peel and thinly slice the onions.
2. Combine all the ingredients into a sauce pan, stir together and heat until it starts to boil.
3. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Leave to cool, transfer to a jar and keep in the fridge.