Savoury cheesecake
Especially nice when served with some vegetable sauce or dip, or if acidity and even more texture are not a problem - served with a salad such as lamb’s lettuce with raspberries. If preferred, can be equally well prepared without the crust by just greasing the bottom of the cake tin instead.
Ingredients
- 100 g simple salty crackers (such as Ritz), crushed
- 30 g butter
- 15 g pine kernels, chopped
- 500 g carrots, prepared and finely grated
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- bunch of fresh thyme sprigs
- 100 g crème fraiche
- 200 g soft goats cheese (such as Picandou)
- 3 eggs
- salt, pepper to taste
Method
- Melt butter in a shallow pan, add chopped pine kernels (not to worry: pine kernels are soft and just add a nice nutty flavour to the crust) and cook over medium heat until fragrant and starting to brown. Immediately remove from heat, add crushed crackers, mix well. Line the bottom of a springform cake tin with baking paper, spread the cracker mix on top and press into a solid layer. Set aside and chill.
- In another frying pan, heat the oil, add shallots, grated carrots and thyme sprigs and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes until carrots and shallots are soft. Set aside to cool, remove thyme sprigs. Preheat oven to 180°C.
- In a bowl whisk eggs, add crème fraiche and goats cheese, mix well. Add cooled carrot mix, season to taste. Add mixture on top of the crust layer in the cakeform, bake for about 30 minutes until top layer is wobbly but firming up.