Smoked Salmon Cheesecake

SMOKED SALMON CHEESECAKE

1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese 1 cup fine dry breadcrumb 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter spice essence

FILLING:

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 cup brunoise red peppers 1/2 cup brunoise yellow peppers 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 lbs cream cheese, at room temperature 4 large eggs 1/2 cup heavy cream 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper 1 cup grated smoked gouda cheese 1 lb smoked salmon 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

GARNISH:

1 cup creme fraiche 1 lemon, juice of 2 tablespoons chopped chives

TO SERVE:

1/4 cup brunoise red onions 1/4 cup capers 1 hard-boiled egg, white and yolk separated and finely chopped 1 (7.00 ounces) can black caviar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a 10-inch springform pan, combine the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and melted butter together. Blend thoroughly and season the mixture with Essence. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom of the pan.

FILLING:

In a saute pan, over medium heat, heat the olive oil until the olive oil is hot; add the onions and peppers. Season the mixture with Essence. Saute the vegetables for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and remove from the heat and cool completely Using a food processor, fitted with a metal blade, add the cream cheese. Process the cheese until smooth. With the machine running, add the eggs, one at a time. Add the cream, salt and black pepper. Process the mixture until incorporated. Remove the mixture from the machine and turn into a mixing bowl. Fold the vegetable mixture, Gouda cheese, smoked salmon and parsley into the cheese mixture. Reseason the mixture if needed. Pour the cheese mixture into the prepared pan. Place the pan on the middle rack in the oven. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cheesecake is set in the center. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and cool completely before slicing.

GARNISH:

In a small mixing bowl, whisk the creme fraiche and lemon juice together. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Fold in the chives

TO SERVE:

Place a small pool of the sauce in the center of each plate. Lay one piece of the cheesecake in the center of the sauce. Garish each plate with the red onions, capers, egg whites, egg yolks, caviar and parsley.

Contributed by:

 * Catsrecipes Y-Group