BignoseBBQ's Basque Cheesecake

Source: @originfirefood Instagram

ORIGINS OF BASQUE CHEESECAKE

Basque cheesecake, aka San Sebastán, aka "tarta de queso," originates from the charming coastal city of San Sebastián in Spain's Basque Country.

It's real crowd-pleaser that we often serve at feasting events and fire cooking experience days.

We just love the tanned caramelised crust and creamy interior. It's a bit firm but a bit wobby.

Slicing into that perfectly tanned, wobbly San Sebastián.

A delicious and indulgent cheesecake, it is quite impressive as a lone wolf.

However you may choose to enhance its heavenly flavour by trying our recommendations of tasty topping:

Foraged Blackberry Compote

or

Lingonberry Drizzle

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BASQUE

PREP & COOK TIME: Put aside 60 to 90 mins for this task.

SERVES: 8-12 portions.

DIETARY: Contains Dairy therefore Vegetarian, but not suitable Vegan. All ingredients are Gluten Free.

INGREDIENTS

• 400g Philadelphia soft cheese

• 400g supermarket own brand soft cheese (embrace the chaos)

• 200g Yeo Valley organic soured cream

• 2 tablespoons Wildfarmed plain flour

• 4 medium free range eggs

• 25g caster sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• Knob to grease the baking tin

TIP: Let all ingredients come to room temperature. Cold ingredients mix about as well as an arguing folk band.

EQUIPMENT

• 8in/20cm springform baking tin

• 2 long sheets of baking paper

• Electric mixer, OR large mixing bowl and wooden spoon

• Bowl for whisking eggs

• Spatula

• Oven gloves

• Wire tin rack for cooling

METHOD

1. Whip It Like Your Nan Taught You

In a large bowl, combine both soft cheeses and caster sugar. Use a sturdy whisk—ideally the sort your nan wielded with enough power to discipline a grandchild at 20 paces. We do not use mixers. Mixers are for DJs and sound engineers. Basque people whisk with pride.

2. Add the Wildfarmed Flour

This is the one with the disco-ball vibe in Tesco and Waitrose. Mix it in thoroughly, then - very important - dip your finger in and taste to ensure there are no sugar granules or flour clumps. You are now the QA department.

3. Add the Sour Cream

Stir in the West Country’s finest soured cream. (I once played a gig at their local social club. We all slept in our cars after sampling “the special brew.” Good times.)

4. Egg Time

Crack the eggs into a separate bowl - unless you enjoy the adrenaline rush of fishing out rogue shell fragments - and whisk them in.

5. Finish With Vanilla

Add the vanilla. Whisk. Taste again because you are an artisan.

PREPARE THE TIN

1. Line a deep springform tin with two sheets of baking paper, laid in opposite directions with plenty of overhang.

2. Butter everything like you’re trying to make Paula Deen proud.

3. Pour in the batter, then tap the tin on the counter to release any bubbles pretending they belong there.

4. Your cheesecake is ready for whichever outdoor contraption (or sad indoor oven) you choose.

Serving Basque cheesecake at our recent Venison Experience Day, with Lee Morton.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Tip: No matter which of the below methods you follow, be sure to avoid overwhelm with direct heat. Visually expect after the first 25-30 mins of cooking.

Gozney Dome (wood-fired, with door)

1. Fire the Dome up to 320°C for at least 20 minutes to heat the insulation.

2. Let it burn down to embers.

3. When the Dome drops to 260°C, slide in the cheesecake, door on.

4. Check at 25 minutes, rotate if needed.

5. Maintain 230–240°C with a sprinkle of embers.

6. It’s done when the top is tanned, caramelised, and the centre wobbles like a proud soufflé.

TIP: Test this before attempting it for your mother-in-law’s birthday. Trust me.

Kamado

1. Set to ~240°C, deflector plate in.

2. Check after 30 minutes, rotate if needed. (If this fails, that’s between you and your insurance policy.)

3. It's done when the top is tanned, caramelised, and the centre wobbles.

Outdoor Pellet Oven (Traeger)

1. You need it at 260°C.

2. Cook for 40 minutes, top shelf.

3. She’ll bronze beautifully.

   
   

Indoor Oven (boring way)

1. Preheat it to 240°C

2. Find something to do with your time for around 40 minutes.

3. Still delicious, and perfectly fine tanning/wobbling, just less adventurous.

   
   

Air Fryer

1. Absolutely not.

FORAGED BLACKBERRY COMPOTE

The whole family involved with foraging our Hinton Admiral Estate Blackberries!

INGREDIENTS

• 200g fresh blackberries, go bramble hunting and pick your own! If it's the wrong time of year, shop bought ones are fine, fresh or frozen.

• 2–3 tbsp sugar (adjust to taste)

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1–2 tbsp water (only if needed)

METHOD

• Add blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a saucepan. Add a splash of water if the berries are dry.

• Cook over medium-low heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until berries soften and get juicy.

• Let cool until just warm or room temperature.

• Whack some on top of your San Sebastián. Job done.

Example with foraged blackberry compote. Add a splash of double cream, it's a big naughty.

LINGONBERRY DRIZZLE

INGREDIENTS

• 150g Lingonberry jam (if you know what this is, you're probably descended from Vikings)

• 1 tbsp water

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• Optional: 1 tsp sugar (for extra sweetness)

  
  

METHOD

1. Add the jam, water, and lemon juice to a small saucepan.

2. Warm over low heat until glossy, slightly runny, and pourable.

3. Taste. If it punches you in the face with tartness, add a little sugar.

4. Cool slightly.

5. Drizzle over slices of the cheesecake like a Nordic dessert god.

Try it out and hit me up in the comments with how it turned out!

Big love, Chris @bignosebbq