Restaurant Recipes: Jay Rayner's Basque Cheesecake

Jay Rayner knows a thing about food. Make that good food. The brutally honest British restaurant critic has enjoyed a near three-decade rating (and on occasion decimating) some of the world’s best restaurant. Now, in his latest book, Jay’s flexing his own culinary muscles by recreating dishes he’s fallen for during his tenure at both The Observer and The Financial Times, as well some original family favourite recipes developed along the way.

One said recipe is Jay’s Basque Cheesecake inspired by James ‘Jocky’ Petrie and the version served at Brat in Shoreditch. This signature crustless dessert originates from San Sebastian and is deliberately ‘burnt’ or caramelised on the surface, revealing a creamy, custard-like interior. Both rich and airy, it’s deceptively easy to make but a guaranteed showstopper.

Read the full recipe below and our interview with Jay here.

Ingredients

• 1kg cream cheese (you’ll probably use Philadelphia, which helpfully often comes in 165g packs,
• six of which come to 990g. That is fine.)
• 2 whole eggs
• 5 egg yolks
• 400g sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 450g caster sugar
• 35g cornflour
• 3g table salt

Method

Preheat your oven to as high as it will go, which will probably be around 240°C (fan, if you have it)/475°F/gas mark 9

Lightly grease a spring-loaded cake tin measuring 24cm across by 5cm deep. Double line it with greaseproof paper, by cutting out two squares of paper which are big enough so the corners will go over the rim when you press the first one in roughly. Press the second square in so its corners come up above the rim of the tin between those of the first. It should look rustic, rather than tidy and elegant

Briefly whisk the cream cheese to bring together the separate packs, then whisk again with all the eggs. Add the sour cream and vanilla essence and whisk for 2 minutes, until incorporated

Mix the sugar, cornflour and salt in a separate bowl, then gradually add these dry ingredients to the cream cheese mix while continually whisking, until they have all been incorporated

Place your cake tin on an oven tray as close to the oven as possible, then pour in the cheesecake mix. (You don’t want to carry a tin full of liquid across the kitchen.)

Bake for 30 minutes. Check after 20. If the browning of the top is uneven from front to back, turn the cake around in the oven for the last 10 minutes. It should and will look burnt. As all ovens vary, if it is not properly dark after the first 30 minutes, bake for an extra five or ten minutes

Leave to cool at room temperature, then put overnight in the fridge to set.

Kitchen Nights Out is available to buy now. Jay Rayner's next live show is on 3rd October. Tickets can be found at jayrayner.co.uk.