*Sharing secrets from the Rústico kitchen*.

It’s surprising how many “classics” have short histories. Tiramisu. Spaghetti carbonara. Basque cheesecake.
Legend has it that is was as recent as 1990, at a restaurant named La Viña, in San Sebastián, where chef Santiago Rivera created the cheesecake that put Basque Spain on the international pudding map. No crust, lots of cream cheese, baked at a high heat so the outside caramelizes and cracks while the inside stays soft and custardy.

No wonder it took off. The Basque cheesecake – known simply back then as tarta de queso – was on its way, fast. And the rest is history; as the food and wine Mecca it is, visiting chefs over the ensuing decades took home memories of the boisterous food scene in the laneways of old Donostia and a special, bitter-sweet and texturally luxurious “cake” that had fast become a regional signature.

Now the Basque cheesecake, thanks to international travel and maybe a dash of social media, is known and loved all over the world. And over the years, Rústico sous chef Lauren Gaunt has refined her own version of this modern classic our guests come back for, time and time again.
“Mike (head chef Mike McAllister) and I were wanting to find a dessert that really said ‘Spain’,” says Lauren. “Most of our menu is inspired by the region and their light style, shared plates of tapas.

“Spanish food culture is about gathering with family, friends and neighbours. It’s colourful, bold and flavourful, yet can be very simple. It is their locally sourced ingredients speaking for themselves.” Basque Spain sits at the top of the country, bordering France, its own historic and cultural region. And because of its food culture and amazing ingredients, it's known for its bar food and Michelin- star restaurants alike.

“The Basque cheesecake has a slightly burnt exterior, silky texture inside, with the flavours of a light crème caramel filling,” says Lauren. “It’s light and complex at the same time.

“And all of these things hit the nail on the head when deciding what dessert to put at the end of our degustation. It’s a way to finish your meal that will leave you wanting more.”

Try it at home... and then come back for a lovely long lunch and try ours again. It’s a dish almost impossible to take off the menu.

INGREDIENTS

900g cream cheese (room temperature)

300g caster sugar

Six large eggs

500ml thickened cream/ cooking cream

One tsp salt

One tsp vanilla paste (can substitute with extract)

42g all-purpose gluten free flour

125ml lemon juice

METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 205 degrees Celsius. Completely line a

20cm baking pan with parchment paper (you want the paper to be

2cm above the top of the tin).

Beat cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment at medium- low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl until very smooth, no lumps remain, and the sugar is dissolved. This takes about two minutes.

Turn off the mixer and sift gluten free flour evenly over the cream cheese mixture using a fine mesh sieve. Beat on low speed for a minute. Scrape sides and beat again for a further 30 seconds.

At low speed, add one egg at a time until all six are incorporated.

Add lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Once combined, add cream.

Mix for two minutes until you have a smooth and silky batter.

Pour batter into your prepared baking tin and bake for 35 minutes.

The cheesecake should be deeply golden brown on top and still be jiggly in the centre.

Remove from the oven and let the cake cool slightly (it will collapse a little at the centre as it cools, and this isn’t a bad thing; it just makes for a soft, gooey centre).

While still warm, refrigerate and leave overnight, removing to get back up to room temperature 30 minutes before serving.