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Savory: Herbed Cheesecake II

Source of Recipe

"The Cheese Lover's Cookbook and Guide" by Paula Lambert


List of Ingredients

Crust:
4 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (1 cup)
1 cup dried bread crumbs
½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
5 + 1/2 tablespoons (1+1/3 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
10 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ pounds (3 cups) cream cheese, softened
1 cup Crème fraiche or sour cream
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh chervil
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1/3 cup finely diced black pepper to taste
2 large egg whites, at room temperature additional herbs and vegetables, for decoration




Recipe

For the crust:
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate while you make the filling.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the filling:
Place the unpeeled cloves of garlic in a small ramekin or ovenproof dish and drizzle with the olive oil.

Bake, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes, or until soft when tested with the tip of a knife. Remove and set aside to cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins and mash or chop the garlic to a puree. Combine the garlic puree, cream cheese, crème fraiche, whole eggs, flour, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for two minutes. Add the parsley, chervil, basil, oregano, and sage and process for one minute. Pour the cream cheese mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the red pepper and carrot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Blend a spoonful of egg whites into the cream cheese mixture, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

Place the cheesecake in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes. When done, the cake will have risen and the center will be almost set. Turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to remain in the oven for one hour longer, without opening the door. Don't worry if the cake is cracked. Remove the cheesecake and set it on a rack to cool for 1½ hours.

Remove the outer ring of the springform pan. Loosen the cheesecake from the bottom of the pan, using a knife, and slide it onto a serving plate. Serve at room temperature, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator at least two hours before serving and allow it to come to room temperature. If desired, decorate the top of the cheesecake using herbs and/or vegetables, as described in the introduction to the recipe on the opposite page.

The cheesecake is lovely served whole for a cocktail buffet party, but it can also be cut into wedges and served on individual plates.