Smoked Salmon Cheesecake

By corlear

Chefs Note: For its infinite variety of presentations, this recipe is a creative classic. It runs the gamut fivin hors d’oeuvres to luncheon salad to dinner entrée.

Chef’s Tips: Have fun with any of the following variations: Layer 4 sheets, each lightly buttered, of phyllo dough. Cut 4 to 5-inch squares of phyilo and press down into regular size muffin tins coated with vegetable spray. Press squares of aluminum foil down on top of the phyllo and place a few dried beans or pie weights on top. Pre-bake phyllo lightly, about 3 to 5 minutes at 325 degrees. Remove foil and weights but leave phyllo cups in tins. Fill cups with the two layers of cheesecake filling and bake until filling is set, about 15 to 20 minutes.Top each cheesecake with thinly sliced smoked salmon, rolled up into a rosette. Serve with a salad of baby greens tossed with dill dressing for a first course or light luncheon entrée. Traditional garnishes of red onion, egg whites, yolks and capers can be added to the plate.

For hors d’oeuvres, cut smaller squares of phyllo and press into miniature muffin tins, following the same procedure as above. However, shorten cooking time when filled.

Ingredients

• 2 cups crumbled Homestyle Cornbread (see recipe)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 4 ½ (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup sour cream
• 7 eggs
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• 8 ounces smoked salmon
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 ½ pounds goat cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• ½ recipe Creamy Dill Dressing (see recipe)
• 1/3 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/3 cup finely chopped hard cooked egg whites
• 1/3 cup finely chopped hard cooked egg yolks
• 1/3 cup finely chopped capers

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare Homestyle Cornbread; reserve until needed.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine cornbread and butter. Press mixture into bottom of a buttered and floured 10-inch spring-form pan; set aside.

In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and sour cream until soft and fluffy; scrape down sides. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl after each addition. Blend in salt and pepper, then divide mixture equally into two medium mixing bowls.

In bowl of food processor, purée salmon until smooth. Add salmon purée and paprika to one of the bowls of cream cheese mixture; mix well.

Add goat cheese and dill to other bowl of cream cheese mixture; mix well.

Evenly pour goat cheese/cream cheese mixture on top of cornbread. Evenly pour salmon/cream cheese mixture on top of goat cheese/cream cheese mixture.

Set springform pan on an 18-inch square of heavy-duty aluminum foil; crimp foil up sides of pan to prevent any moisture from seeping into crust. Bake in a water bath 60 minutes, or until cheesecake feels firm in the center.

Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled or freeze before cutting with a hot, clean serrated knife.

Prepare Creamy Dill Dressing; reserve until needed.

This cheesecake is best served lightly warmed. Place individual portion on a microwave-safe plate; heat 1 minute on 70 percent power. For presentation, sprinkle each serving plate with 1 teaspoon each of red onion, egg white, yolk and capers. Transfer warm slice of cheese cake onto plate and drizzle with Creamy Dill Dressing.