la viña's basque cheesecake

Basque cheesecake is the rebellious teenager of the cheesecake world. It breaks every rule in the book, and the result is a light and creamy cake with a deeply caramelized crust. It’s also incredibly easy to make - just mix it all together and throw it into a hot oven. Forget about the water bath or stress about cracks. You want all the cracks and the craggy edges. The cheesecake will rise substantially in the hot oven and settle back down into the nooks and crannies as it cools.

I added lemon zest to lighten up the cake, though the original La Viña version does not have any so add according to your personal preference. The cake is delicious the same day, or chilled straight out of the fridge, but make sure to let the cheesecake cool completely before slicing, as the middle may still be custardy while warm (not that it’s a bad thing). Serve with a cup of coffee and it will make your day!

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La Viña Basque Cheesecake

makes one 8 inch cake

ingredients

4 packs (32 ounces) cream cheese, room temp

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons flour

zest of one lemon (optional)

steps

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Mix it all together: Using the paddle attachment or vigorously by hand, mix the cream cheese until smooth with no lumps. Mix in the eggs one at a time, then adding in the heavy cream, sugar, salt, flour, and lemon zest until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides as you mix to avoid any lumps.

Prepare the pan: Line an 8 in. springform pan with an oversized piece of parchment paper. Don’t cut it to fit, as we want all the wrinkles and edges that form along the walls of the pan. Pour the batter into the parchment lined pan (it will be a very wet batter).

Baking the cake: Bake at 425 F for 40 - 50 minutes. The cheesecake should be browned across the top with the middle still jiggly. Let the cake cool completely (at least 2 hours) before serving.

ganbara's basque wild mushrooms

In the coastal city of San Sebastian located in Spanish Basque country, you’ll find scores of bars serving pintxos, which are essentially the basque take on tapas. The counters of each bar is filled to the brim with plates of incredible small bites, often served on bread, along with a vast selection of options you can order from the kitchen. It is truly one of my favorite places in the world, and I could spend everyday hopping between bars filling up on pintxos, washed down with some txakoli, a local lightly sparkling wine poured from way up high.

Ganbara is an essential stop on a pintxos crawl in the heart of San Sebastian, so you’ve got to be assertive to get up front and get your order in amongst the crowded bar. You may be swayed by the mouthwatering spread across the bar (and if they have the carb tartlettes, definitely get yourself a few of those), but you’d be remiss to not order a plate of their seared wild mushrooms, or hongos a la plancha. Anthony Bourdain called it one of his favorite dishes, and I couldn’t agree more. The selection of mushrooms vary depending on the season, but they’re always seared in a garlic olive oil before topped with a fresh egg yolk and a light sprinkle of truffle salt. If you’re feeling extra fancy, you can add a piece of seared foie gras on the side as well. It’s a simple dish that highlights the earthy flavors of the wild mushrooms (that you probably paid a pretty penny for) brought together with the creaminess of the egg yolk.

A few tips for success:

• It can be hard to find wild mushrooms, but feel free to use any combination that you can locate. I used chanterelles (pricy but delicious) and king oyster mushrooms. If you live near one, Eataly is a great place to locate wild mushrooms.

• Cook each mushroom type separately as different varietals cook at different rates.

• Don’t crowd the pan - we want to get a nice sear on these mushrooms without overcooking.

• Make sure to use an egg yolk from the highest quality egg you can find.

• The recipe below is for a pintxo-sized portion, but can be easily doubled.

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Ganbara’s Basque Seared Wild Mushrooms

makes an appetizer for 2

ingredients

1/2 pound mix of wild mushrooms (e.g. chanterelles)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup high quality olive oil

salt & pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

finishing salt (truffle or flaky salt), optional

1 egg yolk (high quality), optional

steps

Infuse the olive oil: Mix together the minced garlic with the olive oil and let it sit for 30 min.

Prepare the mushrooms: Because we are using wild mushrooms, be sure to clean the mushrooms with a wet cloth thoroughly. Slice mushrooms into bite sized pieces, not too small, and keep each type separate as we will be cooking them separately.

Sear the mushrooms: In a medium hot pan, add the olive oil only along with one type of mushroom at a time if you’re using a mix. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Don’t move the mushrooms around the pan too much to get a nice sear. Once you have a nice color on them, throw in some of the minced garlic once the mushrooms are almost done for some extra flavor. Don’t add it too early or the garlic may burn. Finish with parsley once the mushrooms are done.

Plating: Plate the mushrooms by grouping the mushrooms by type. In the middle, add an egg yolk before sprinkling with some either flaky or truffle salt for an extra layer of earthy flavor. Serve immediately, and mop up all the extra yolk and juices with some bread.