Savory Cheesecake with Dark Bread and Salmon Cream

The savory cheesecake with dark bread and salmon cream is an elegant and delicious dish, perfect as an appetizer or for a buffet. Here’s how to prepare it, with an Italian twist that includes some local touches:

Ingredients

• 200 g of sliced dark bread
• 100 g of melted butter
• 200 g of smoked salmon
• 300 g of cream cheese (such as Philadelphia or similar)
• 100 g of ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Some capers for garnish
• Chives for garnish

Preparation

1. Start with the crust. Blend the dark bread until you get fine crumbs. Mix the crumbs in a bowl with the melted butter until you have a homogeneous mixture.
2. Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper. Pour the mixture of dark bread and butter into the pan and press firmly with the back of a spoon to create a compact base. Put in the refrigerator to cool for about 30 minutes.
3. In the meantime, prepare the cheese cream. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese with ricotta, chopped dill, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until you get a smooth and homogeneous cream.
4. Take the base from the refrigerator and spread the cheese cream over it. Level well with a spatula.
5. Arrange the slices of smoked salmon on top of the cream, leaving a free edge around.
6. Cover with cling film and let it rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or even better, overnight.
7. When ready to serve, decorate with capers, chopped chives, and if you like, a few extra drops of lemon.

Curiosity

Cheesecake, although it is better known in its sweet variant, is a versatile dish capable of adapting to savory interpretations. Choosing dark bread as the base brings with it a rustic and intense flavor that pleasantly contrasts with the creaminess and delicacy of the cheese and salmon.

If you wish to pair this savory cheesecake with a wine, I would suggest a sparkling white, perhaps a Prosecco, which with its liveliness is capable of balancing the saltiness of the salmon and the creaminess of the cheeses.