If fine dining, excellent cuisine or an enjoyable evening or day out in the company of South Africa's leaders in the music industry, is your thing, Rustenburg patrons know by now that Hedgehogs Nest is a popular venue and ideally poised to offer all of these. But apart from great food, great dancing and enjoying the beat, did you realise that Pieter Germishuys Executive Chef at Hedgehogs Nest Function and Wedding Venue is also the Principal of the Hedgehog's Nest Culinary Institute (HCI) where prospective chefs are trained in the fine art of fine dining.
Rustenburg Herald's cooking team has spent time with Pieter and his team and Hedgehog's Nest before and is well aware of the fact that the HCI offers a superb course and recognised examinations and qualifications in the food industry. It is without the slightest doubt that we can attest to the fact that Pieter Germishuys really knows his way around any kitchen and that students trained at the HCI will be well prepared for the industry in or at any institution. But for the sake of our regular cooking page, let's rather share an excellent recipe with you - a New York Style baked cheesecake which Pieter and his students have prepared for us with of course, a fine starter and an even greater main course...
New York style baked cheesecake: Takes 90 minutes plus 2 hours cooling and chilling - Serves 12...
Ingredients
For the crust
85g butter, melted plus extra for the tin
140g biscuits, made into fine crumbs
1 tbsp sugar
For the cheesecake filling
3 x 300g cream cheese
250g golden caster sugar
3 tbsp plain flour
1½ tsp vanilla extract
finely grated zest of 1 lemon (about 10ml)
1½ tsp lemon juice
3 large egg, plus 1 yolk
284ml carton soured cream
For the soured cream topping
142ml carton soured cream
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
Method
Position an oven shelf in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to fan 160°C/conventional 180°C/gas. Line the base of a 23cm springform cake tin with parchment paper. For the crust, melt the butter in a medium pan. Stir in the biscuit crumbs and sugar so the mixture is evenly moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack while preparing the filling.
For the filling, increase the oven temperature to fan 200°C/conventional 240°C/gas 9. In a table top mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the soft cheese at medium-low speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, gradually add the sugar, then the flour and a pinch of salt, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the paddle twice. Swap the paddle attachment for the whisk. Continue by adding the vanilla, lemon zest and juice. Whisk in the eggs and yolk, one at a time, scraping the bowl and whisk at least twice. Stir the 284ml carton of soured cream until smooth, then measure 200ml just over 3?4 of the carton.
Continue on low speed as you add the measured soured cream (reserve the rest). Whisk to blend, but don't over-beat. The batter should be smooth, light and somewhat airy. Brush the sides of the springform tin with melted butter and put on a baking sheet. Pour in the filling - if there are any lumps, sink them using a knife - the top should be as smooth as possible. Bake for 10 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to fan 90°C/conventional 110°C/gas 1?4 and bake for 25 minutes more. If you gently shake the tin, the filling should have a slight wobble. Turn off the oven and open the oven door for a cheesecake that's creamy in the centre, or leave it closed if you prefer a drier texture. Let cool in the oven for 2 hours. The cheesecake may get a slight crack on top as it cools.
Combine the reserved soured cream with the 142ml carton, the sugar and lemon juice for the topping. Spread over the cheesecake right to the edges. Cover loosely with foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Run a round-bladed knife around the sides of the tin to loosen any stuck edges. Unlock the side, slide the cheesecake off the bottom of the tin onto a plate, then slide the parchment paper out from underneath.
