Passport & Plate - Ackee & Scotch Bonnett Cheesecake, Codfish brittle
Jamaica | Tuesday, March 11, 2014 | 5 photos
Ingredients
Ackee – 8oz
Scotch Bonnet Pepper – 2
Cream Cheese – 16 oz
Granulated Sugar – 1.5 lb
White Rum – 4 oz
Egg – 4
Heavy Cream – 8 oz
Vanilla – 1 oz
Salt – 0.01oz
Lime Juice – 1 oz
Panko Bread Crumbs – 8 oz
Cocoa Powder – 3 oz
Unsalted Butter – 4 oz
Saltfish – 8 oz
Curry – 1oz
Mango Puree – 6oz
Wet Jerk Seasoning – 4 oz
Cream Cheese – 6 oz
Brie Cheese – 4 oz
Coco Mania Rum – 4 oz
Granulated Sugar – 10 oz
Confectioners Sugar – 6 oz
Coconut Flakes – 6 oz
Semi-Dark Chocolate – 12 oz
Sugar Cane -
Sorrel Jam – 8 oz
Appleton Rum – 4 oz
Gelatin Sheets – 6 sheets
Cinnamon Powder – 1oz
Heavy Cream – 6 oz
Peanuts – 8 oz
How to prepare this recipeMethod:
Ackee and Scotch Bonnett Cheesecake with Codfish Brittle
1. Cream Sugar, cream cheese, salt and lime juice for 5 minutes. Add vanilla and cream for an etr minute.
2. Add egg in 4 stages on low speed. In a blender, blend ¾ portion of ackee with cream until smooth. Add to mixing bowl and mix for 3 minutes.
3. In a bowl combine 2 tsp sugar, panko, cocoa powder and butter and mix together. Base molds with mixture and pour cheesecake mix in.
4. Combine remainder of ackee with 1 tsp sugar and place on top of cake mix in mold.
5. Bake at 325 degree Fahrenheitina water bathe for 60 – 90 minutes.
6. Remove and place to chill in blast chiller.
Jerk Cheesecake lollipop
1. In a small skillet melt half brie cheese with wet jerk seasoning and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Temper Chocolate.
3. In a blender, blend cream cheese, brie cheese and heavy cream until it attains a smooth consistency.
4. Pour into a mixing bowl, adding granulated sugar and coconut rum, mix until all items have been evenly distributed.
5. Cut sugar cane into batonets
6. Bloom gelatin sheets and allow to dissolve, adding to cheesecake mixture.
7. Place in container and allow to chill and set in the blast chiller.
8. Make sorrel rum sauce. In a sauce pot combine sorrel jam, Appleton and cinnamon powder and allow to dissolve on medium to low heat until it gets to its desired consistency.
9. In the oven place seasoned peanuts allow to roast for 5-8minutes. Remove and allow cooling and then chopping finely.
10. Remove cheesecake from blast chiller and form into balls. Roll in confectioners’ sugar followed by chopped jerk nuts.
11. Place in chiller until ready to serve.
The story behind this recipeThe story behind my “Ackee and Scotch Bonnet Cheesecake with Codfish brittle” is the unearth thought through the combination of savory and spicy flavor in a dessert creating an umami feel. Moreover, that the dessert has a combination of the National Fruit and the National Dish of Jamaica. This dish came about when I was selected to be a part of the 2013 National Team to the “Taste of the Caribbean” cooking competition in Miami competing in the Cheesecake category. I knew I had to showcase my country with items we are known for but they had to be utilized in ways no individual should ever dream of. I went to the drawing board and tried many flavors in combination but always lacked a nice sweet tooth element, as such the “Appleton Sorrel Chutney Sauce” was added.
After the completion and testing of the recipe I competed and attained a silver medal for best cheesecake. Not only was I able to showcase my countries flavors but do the inevitable of producing a pastry item with the ingredients. The judges were wowed as scotch bonnet is a fiery pepper used in our Jerk marinations and mixes. All ingredients had to be detailed and properly showcased, thus plate presentation was a keen effort in transcending the flavors through the artistry by being visually appealing. We first eat with our eyes and as such it was imperative to capture the judge with the dish, the five senses had to be utilized for this dish, do I smell the alcohol from the Appleton, taste the salt and sweetness from the codfish brittle, attain the different textures through touch and mouth feel, hear the crunch from the brittle or feel the cheesecake melt with the tingling of the spice.Jamaica is known for it’s“Melting Pot”, our Coat of Arms states “Out of Many one People”. It is a derivative of many different cultures intertwined to gives it a single heritage JAMAICAN. The extent of the cuisines are sometimes limited as our forefathers who descended from such heritage gave little teachings of the cuisine.
