• Cheesecakes aren’t only for the sweet-toothed! We give this creamy favourite a shake, rattle and roll and present you with a lip-smacking savoury cheesecake.

    Recipe and styling by Sarah Dall

    Photograph by Myburgh du Plessis

    Wild mushroom, pancetta and asparagus cheesecake

    Serves: 10
    Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins + 2 hrs, to set

    Ingredients

    • CHEESECAKE BASE

    • 100g Finn Crisp Crispbread (available at leading supermarkets)
    • 80g butter, melted
    • CHEESECAKE FILLING

    • 100g pancetta
    • 100g asparagus
    • 30g butter
    • 150g exotic mushrooms
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • 2 x 250g tubs cream cheese
    • zest of 1 lime
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) cake flour
    • 2 extra-large eggs
    • 1 extra-large egg yolk
    • pinch salt
    • fresh sage, to garnish

    Instructions

    1

    Preheat the oven to 230°C. Grease and line the base of a loaf tin with baking paper.

    2

    For the base, blitz the crisps to a fine crumb in a blender or food processor and fold in the melted butter. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared loaf tin.

    3

    For the filling, heat a frying pan until hot and fry the pancetta until crispy, 2 minutes.

    4

    Blanch the asparagus in salted, boiling water, 2 minutes. Drain and refresh in ice water.

    5

    Melt the butter in a large pan over high heat, add the mushrooms and fry until golden brown, 5 minutes. Season to taste and set aside.

    6

    Beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually blend the lime zest and flour into the cheese, keeping the mixture smooth. Add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour a third of the filling over the biscuit crust. Layer over the exotic mushrooms, followed by another third of the cheese mixture. Layer over the pancetta, followed by the last third of the filling. Top with the asparagus spears. Bake in the preheated oven, 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to 100°C and bake for a further hour. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool, 1 hour.

    7

    Refrigerate the cheesecake to set and cool completely, 1 hour.

    8

    Using a palette knife, loosen the sides of the cheesecake and remove from the pan. Place on a serving platter and top with fresh sage to serve.

    Author

    Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine.  www.imkawebb.com

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