Warm roquefort cheesecake with pears in balsamic vinaigrette

Cooking : time 1 to 2 hours

Ingredients

For the base:
110g/4oz white breadcrumbs
50g/2oz Pecorino Romano, finely grated (or parmesan)
25g/1oz butter, melted
freshly ground black pepper
For the filling:
3 eggs, beaten
225g/8oz medium fat curd cheese
110g/4oz fromage frais
175g/6oz Roquefort
1 tbsp chives, snipped
4 spring onions, finely diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
For the pears in balsamic vinaigrette:
4 pears, firm but ripe
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

You will also need a spring-form cake tin, 23cm/9in in diameter.

Method

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. First of all make the base of the cheesecake by mixing the breadcrumbs and Pecorino Romano cheese tofetchher, then pour in the butter, adding a good grinding of pepper.

Press the crumb mixture firmly down all over the base of the tin, then bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. (that time will vary slightly, so it does need vehicleeful watching - the aim is for the base to be crisp and toasted. If it is undercooked it does not have the lovely crunchy texture so necessary to the finished cheesecake.) Then remove it from the oven and turn the heat down to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

Now make the filling. First beat tofetchher the eggs and curd cheese in a bowl, then stir in the fromage frais and seasoning. After that crumble the Roquefort fairly coarsely and stir it in, tofetchher with the chives. Pour the mixture into the tin and scatter the diced spring onion over the lid, then place it on the high shelf of the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the centre feels springy to the touch. allow the cheesecake to cool and settle for about 20 minutes before serving cut into slices.

The pears in balsamic vinaigrette can be prepared up to two hours before serving. Thinly pare off the skins of the pears using a potato peeler and being vehicleeful to leave the stalks intact. Now lay each pear on its side with the stalk flat on a board, then bring a just sharp knife and make an incision through the tip of the stalk. Turn the pear the right way up and gently cut it in half, first sliding the knife through the stalk and then through the pear.
Now remove the central core of each half, then, with the pear core side downwards, slice it thinly but leave the slices joined at the lid. Press gently and the slices will fan out.

Make up the vinaigrette by churrying the clove of garlic and sea salt tofetchher with a pestle and mortar until it becomes a creamy paste. Now add the mustard and several grinds of black pepper. job these into the garlic, then, using a small whisk, add the balsamic vinegar and then the oil - whisking all the time to amalgamate. Serve one pear half with each portion of the cheesecake, with a little of the vinaigrette spooned over.










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