Thought it was about time I published the recipe for my Apple Crumble Cheesecake.
I write as I speak, so bare with me.
Right then.
Lets do the roof first!! ;-) Have you ever made a crumble topping before(Rub 250g Flour, 125g Butter and 250g Sugar together until it looks like... well.... crumble mix)? Great! Do that! But this time instead of putting on top of a fruit filling straight away. We are gonna bake it first. So pour the crumble mix onto a non stick baking sheet (or line a tray with silicone paper) Bake at gas mark 5 for 15-25 mins. Keep an eye on it though.
Next.
Peel, core and chunky dice 3 large Bramley apples. Cook them down with a squeeze of a quarter of a lemon, 50g Quality sugar (I like the taste of natural golden caster sugar). Just cook until the apples start to break down. Then set to one side to cool.
Then...
A large pack of digestive biscuits and half a pack of butter (melted)
Smash up the biscuits then mix with butter.
Pack into a Spring latch tin. This is your Buttery biscuit BASS!!!!
Now go get
1kg cream cheese
4 eggs
350g Sugar
Vanilla pod
Chuck all this in a bowl and mix. If you can't get or don't know how to use a vanilla pod. Use essence or paste.
Chef tip- Try to make sure all your ingredients are the same temperature.
Ok. So now you have a tin with your buttery biscuit base in. A bowl with your creamy-cheesy filling. Apple sauciness and some crumbly goodness.
Now build that bad boy.
Pour in the Cream cheese mix.
Gently spoon on the apple mix
Then Sprinkle on the crumble mix
Bake @ gas mark 4 for around 45 mins. The cheesecake should have a little bit of wobble as it comes out of the oven. Should not have risen.
I've attached some pictures to help. Sorry they are in no particular order!
I was chatting with a young lad the other day. He had expressed an interest in cooking and becoming a chef. As the conversation went on, it came to light that one of the things that put him off was having to learn about "Liquid nitrogen" and "Water baths" etc. My jaw dropped!
I was confronted with a similar experience when I was teaching at the college. A student was quizzing me about molecular gastronomy. I was able to give a limited responcse, but this was a student who was struggling with peeling a potato. In both incidences the same thought was evident, "You don't need to know about that!"
I pride myself on being able to cook the simple things well. I will never win a Michelin Star or Masterchef, but I will fill your belly and entertain your mouth. This is my philosophy when it comes to cooking. My concern is that this is becoming a lost ideal in kitchens, cookery and training.
It is nice that the likes of Heston Blumenthal can inspire people to be chefs, but this can lead to disillusionment once in the catering industry. It's not all foams, candy houses and glamorous desserts. A chef should be able to do the simple things.
Going back to my earlier point about the young lad. I explained to him that I was once told about a list of 10 dishes every chef should know. I remember it as:
1: Chicken Stock
2: Basic white Sauce
3: Roast a chicken
4: Poach/Grill/bake Fish
5: Gravy/Jus
6: Leek and Potato Soup
7: Bread
8: Shortcrust Pastry
9: Creme Anglaise
10:Sponge cake
You get the gist?....
Getting these skills down should be a priority to any trainee/wannabe chef. Coupled with confidence at cooking and preparing vegetables. Leave the water baths and fancy stuff for a while. I'm not saying never. Just don't run before you can walk.
