Smoked Salmon Cheesecake with a
Walnut Crust
A recipe from: From the Earth to the Table, John Ash.
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This is a delicious dish, a flavorful, savory cheesecake. In the cookbook it is described as a very elegant first course or lunch dish. We served it as during an evening of shared appetizers or tapas and it was a hit. John Ash suggests serving a small slice of the cheesecake with a salad of baby greens drizzled with a vinaigrette.

Crust:
2 cups Panko or other dry breadcrumbs 1/4 cup grated Gruyére or Asiago cheese
3/4 cup toasted and finely chopped walnuts 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup metled unsalted butter

Filling:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium yellow onion, minced 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 3/4 pounds cream cheese at room temperature 1/2 cup hanf-and-half
2/3 cup grated Gruyére or Asiago cheese 4 eggs, seperated
1/2 pound high quality smoked salmon, finely chopped.
Prepare the crust: Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Process to mix. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides (The crust will not come all the way up the sides of the pan.) of a buttered 10-inch springform pan.. Chill.
Prepare the filling: Preheat the oven fo 350ºF. In a small sauté pan. melt the butter and sauté the onion until soft but not brown. Set aside. In a mixer or by hand, blend the cream cheese, half-and-half, sautéd onion, Gruyére, and salt and pepper until smooth. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time. In a seperate bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, but not dry. Mix in the salmon. Carefully fold the beaten egg white into the cream cheese mixture. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until set. (A toothpick in the center should come out clean.) Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan.
To serve, remove the ring from the springfoprm pan and cut the cheesecake into slices with a warm knife. Serve at room temperature.
John Ash recommends a Gerwürztraminer or Johannisberg Riesling with this dish. The Jordan's recommend a Caliterra Sauvingnon Blanc or Michel-Schlumberger Pinot Blanc