Savory Goat Cheesecake with Smoked Salmon and Balsamic Onions

Recipe time. I know that I have neglected with the recipes part for some time, but I haven't really been too excited by any new recipes for awhile (at least nothing that is worth writing out - one thing we have been doing is making lemonade with orange blossom honey instead of sugar, and that is quite pleasant, but a recipe for it? Nah. Too much depends on the lemons. I could say use X cups of honey for Y cups of lemon juice, and it will turn out that your lemons are more acidic, so just use your taste).

Anyway, this one isn't Cheddar-on-Trout, which is supposed to be lovely this time of year, certainly worth a detour from the Cotswolds, but it does break the prohibition on combining fish with cheese.

First, the crust:

Peel about four russet potatoes. You will only use three, but you will nibble on about a potato worth of yummy fried potato bits, so allow for it. Shred the potatoes with the shredding disc of your food processor.

In a large bowl mix with an egg or two, salt and pepper.

Heat up at least a half inch of oil (I used a mix of canola and EVOO) to frying hot. Plop (gently - avoid burns) a mound of potato into the oil and spread it out. As it fries, stir it so that it does not become a giant potato pancake. When the bits of potato are deep golden brown, remove them with a slotted spoon and put them on a plate spread with paper towls. Resist the tempation to snack on too many of them, but it would be futile to tell you to completely avoid them.

Now, this is important: do not allow any of the little bits to burn. It is better to toss out the oil and all the little particles every third batch (I was careful and extended it to four or five, but it is better to be careful) than to allow the oil to darken and for little bits of charcoal to make it into your crust.

When the bits are cooled spread a generous layer of them on the bottom of your springform pan.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Balsamic Onions

Thinly slice an onion. I don't think it matters all that much what kind, they will be different but they should all work. If you can slice paper thin and have a sharp knife, go ahead and do it by hand, as there is something fun about holding up a super thin slice of onion and thinking, hah! I did that! Otherwise use a mandoline or a food processor.

Put the onions in a skillet with a half cup of water, a pinch of salt, a generous splash of balsamic vinegar, and a teaspoon of sugar. Bring to a boil, cover tightly and hold over low heat for ten minutes.

At the end of ten minutes, remove the cover, add a Tablespoon of sugar (more if you are using standard yellow onions), another splash of balsamico, and raise the heat to high. Cook out the water and remove the onions to a bowl as soon as the sugar starts to brown.

The filling: Beat 48 ounces of chevre (Californian or Canadian work fine), 8 oz of sour cream, a generous splash of heavy whipping cream, and 6 Tablespoons corn starch together. Add four eggs and beat in.

Assemble. Above your crust, spread a generous inch of filling. Layer the onions. Spread some more filling. Layer with slices of smoked salmon (preferably wild). Cover with filling. Place in 250 degree oven for an hour (if you assembled in advance and put it in the icebox, add half an hour for a cold cheescake). Then turn the oven off, without opening the door. Keep it in the oven for another hour. Remove. Cool on a rack for two hours. Use a wet, thin-bladed knife to loosen the edges, and carefully remove the spring-form pan. Chill for three hours.

Serve with a Robert Mondavi sauvignon blanc or a Bonny Doon Vineyards Malvasia Bianca and a lightly dressed salad.

Posted by erik at June 13, 2005 10:43 AM | TrackBack