MATCHA BASQUE CHEESECAKE

You cook this cheesecake at a high temperature so that the top burns.

This, along with the matcha, adds a bitter note that offers both visual and flavour contrast to the dense creaminess underneath. It must be made the day before you want to eat it and left overnight in the fridge to set and chill

(in fact, it peaks on day three): it’s the secret to the cheesecake’s dense allure.

SERVES 8-10

2 x 340g packs full-fat cream cheese

225g caster sugar

1½ tsp flaky sea salt

5 eggs

150ml soured cream

150ml double cream

30g plain flour (gluten-free flour also works here)

2 tbsp high-quality matcha powder (I buy premium-grade matcha tea from clearspring.co.uk or souschef.co.uk)

Preheat the oven to 260C/240C fan/ gas 9 (essentially, the highest your oven can go). Line a 20cm springform baking tin with baking paper (not in the way you would line a Christmas cake, rather just one big piece of paper pushed into the tin – it’s supposed to look rustic!).

Put the cream cheese in a bowl and whisk to loosen it up and get rid of any lumps – try to avoid adding air into the mixture (we’re going for a dense, thick mix here). Beat in the sugar and salt until melted into the mixture, then beat in the eggs, one by one.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the soured cream and double cream. Combine the flour and matcha powder, then sift this over the sour cream mixture and whisk to incorporate.

Fold this into the cream cheese.

Pour the mixture into your baking tin and tap it 3-4 times on the work surface to get rid of any lingering air bubbles. Place the cheesecake in the oven and turn the temperature down to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. Bake for

40-45 minutes. If you find that the top isn’t getting dark enough, turn the oven back up to the original temperature for the last 5 minutes. The cheesecake should still be wobbly in the middle

(it will firm up significantly as it cools). Allow to cool and then place in the fridge to set for at least 6 hours (ideally overnight).