July’s Surprise Pick: Nigella’s Basque Burnt Cheesecake with Liquorice Sauce
There’s something about summer travel that inspires new flavours in our kitchens – and this month’s surprise recipe comes with a Basque twist. Fresh off a recent visit to Biarritz and the Basque Country, our Managing Director, Jo Milner, has returned not only with sun-kissed stories and a deep yearning for proper Yorkshire tea, but also with a serious culinary obsession for Basque Burnt Cheesecake.
Yes, the famously crustless, caramelised, creamy wonder that hails from San Sebastián has taken over her kitchen – and, frankly, we’re all benefiting!
«I couldn’t find a decent cup of tea anywhere,» Jo confesses with a grin, «but after the second slice of Basque cheesecake, I forgave the entire region!»
The Basque Country – or Euskal Herria, as it’s known in the Basque language – straddles northern Spain and south-western France. It’s a region with a fiercely proud identity, its own ancient language (unrelated to any other in Europe), and a long history of independence movements, artistic flair and spectacular cuisine. The name Basque Country refers to both the cultural and geographic region inhabited by the Basque people. With dramatic coastlines, lush green hills, and a deep respect for local produce, it’s no wonder that this corner of the world is known for having one of the highest concentrations of Michelin-starred restaurants per capita anywhere.
Basque food is rooted in tradition, seasonality and quality ingredients. Think grilled meats, fresh seafood, salted cod (bacalao), fiery pipérade sauces, and pintxos – the Basque answer to tapas, typically skewered and served with drinks. And of course, there’s dessert.
Enter the Basque Burnt Cheesecake, or Tarta de Queso. Unlike the classic New York-style cheesecake, this version has no crust, is baked at a high heat for a caramelised top, and has a custardy, soft centre. It’s intentionally imperfect – cracked, bronzed, rustic. In Nigella’s version below, she adds her signature twist: a glossy liquorice sauce that makes this indulgent dessert utterly unforgettable.
«I’ve made it three times since I got back,» Jo admits. «It’s dangerously easy, incredibly satisfying, and it goes beautifully with a hot cup of Yorkshire Gold tea – if you can find one!»
Whether you’re dreaming of northern Spain or just in need of a new weekend treat, this cheesecake hits the spot. No crust. No fuss. Just rich, caramelised goodness with a hint of something dark and dramatic on top.
Scroll down for Jo’s go-to recipe and remember: the imperfections are part of the charm!
Photo credit ©Jo Milner during her meal at La Madame restaurant in San Sebastián. Basque Cheesecake served with excellent Amaretto ice cream!
Nigella’s Basque Burnt Cheesecake with Liquorice Sauce
Serve with blackberries or other berries of your choice, as well as with any other sauce of your choice, or ice cream.
Serves 10-12
For the cheesecake:
600g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
175g caster sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
300ml sour cream, at room temperature
¼ tsp fine sea salt
25g cornflour
For the sauce:
15g hard pure liquorice pellets
90g caster sugar
300ml water
Pinch of fine sea salt, optional
- Heat the oven to 200℃/180℃ Fan/400° Get out a 20cm/8-inch springform tin and a roll of baking parchment. Unfurl a long piece from the roll, and when it looks like you’ve got enough to line the tin with an overhang of 5–7cm/2-3in, tear it off and press it into the tin, and down into the edges at the bottom. Now do the same again with a second piece, placing it perpendicular to the first so that the tin is entirely lined. Push this piece down, too, and don’t worry about any pleats, creases and wrinkles; this is The Look. Sit something heavy in the tin to keep the paper in place while you get on with the cheesecake mixture.
- Beat the cream cheese with the sugar until light and smooth. It is absolutely essential that the cream cheese is at room temperature before you start.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, waiting for each one to be incorporated before adding the next, and when they’re all mixed in, you can – beating all the while – pour in the sour cream.
- Once that is also incorporated, you can slow down the mixer a little (or risk getting cornflour all over yourself) and then beat in the salt, followed by the cornflour, one teaspoon at a time. Remove the bowl from the mixer, scrape down the sides with a silicon spatula, and give everything a good stir.
- Pour into the lined tin (removing whatever’s been sitting in it, obviously), making sure no cheesecake mix is left in the bowl, and then rap the filled tin on the work surface about five times to get rid of any air bubbles.
- Bake for 50’ in the oven, by which time the cheesecake will be a burnished bronze on top, even chestnut brown in places, and it’ll have risen, like a dense soufflé. It will, however, still be very jiggly. It’s meant to be. You’ll think it’s undercooked, but it will carry on cooking as it cools, and it should have a soft set, anyway.
- Remove the tin to a wire rack and leave to cool. It will sink in the middle a little, but that too is part of its traditional appearance. It’s cool enough to eat after 3 hours, although you may need to leave it for a little longer. If you want to chill it in the fridge, do, but not for more than 30 minutes.
- Make the liquorice sauce once the cheesecake is out of the oven. If you have a bullet blender, you can pulverise the liquorice pastilles first, but whether whole or powder, put in a small saucepan with the 300ml/1¼ cups of water. Stir in the sugar, then put on a lowish flame until the liquorice has all but dissolved, stirring to give it a bit of a nudge every now and again to help it melt. Then turn up the heat and let it bubble away until reduced to 150ml/⅔ cup – turning the heat down a bit if it looks like it’s boiling over. In a 14cm/6-inch diameter pan, this can take up to 20’. Keep checking – you’ll need a small heatproof measuring jug by your side. Stir in a pinch of salt, if wished, and leave to cool, when it will have the texture of a syrup, which in effect, it is.
- Before serving, unclip and lift the sides of the tin up and away, and then lift the cheesecake up with the edges of the parchment. Place this on a board, and peel the paper back, and take it like that, rustically beautiful, to the table, along with your blackberries and even blacker liquorice syrup. Just drizzle a little over the slices of cheesecake as you hand them out, allowing hardcore liquorice lovers to spoon more over as they eat.
Additional Information:
• Prepare liquorice sauce up to 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Allow sauce to come to room temperature before serving.
• Refrigerate cheesecake leftovers, covered, for up to 3 days. Refrigerate sauce leftovers, covered, for up to 3 months.
• Freeze cheesecake leftovers in airtight container for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in fridge and eat within 24 hours. Sauce leftovers can be frozen in airtight container for up to 6 months. Defrost overnight in fridge.
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