Goat's cheese and gofio cheesecake: our Canarian recipe

In the Canary Islands, cheese does not stop at the cheeseboard: it is grilled, fried, melted and also turned into dessert. This goat's cheese and gofio cheesecake is one of the house's own creations: it is signed by chef Jorge Bosch and comes from bringing together two products that have been in the islands' larder for centuries, Canarian goat's cheese and gofio. Here is how we make it, and how to bring it into your own kitchen.

Why Canarian cheese and gofio

The creamy, hot-oven cheesecake with an almost liquid heart has become a classic on menus the world over. Our version takes it onto Canarian ground in two ways. The first is the cheese: instead of using only industrial cream cheese, half the weight is smoked goat's cheese, which brings acidity, character and that smoky background that makes it recognisable from the first bite. The second is the gofio, the toasted corn flour that has been eaten in the islands since before the conquest: dusted over the top, it adds a dry, toasted note that cuts through the richness of the cheese and ties the dessert to the land. We finish it with palm honey from La Gomera, which is not bee honey but reduced palm sap, with a final bitterness that balances the sweetness.

Ingredients

These are the proportions from our kitchen sheet, worked out for 15 individual moulds (like the ones in the photo). To make it at home in a 20 cm tin, divide everything by five.

• 500 g of cream cheese
• 500 g of Canarian smoked goat's cheese
• 560 g of cream
• 350 g of sugar
• 4 eggs
• Gofio, to taste, for dusting
• Palm honey, to taste, to serve
• Individual moulds and baking paper to line them

Method, step by step

1. Line the moulds with baking paper, letting it stand above the rim: those uneven folds are what give the cheesecake its rustic shape and toasted creases.
2. Mix all the ingredients — both cheeses, the cream, the sugar and the eggs — until you have a smooth, lump-free mixture.
3. Pour into the lined moulds , without filling them to the top: the cheesecake rises in the oven and then settles.
4. Bake at 160 °C until just set. The centre should still wobble; if it sets completely it loses the creaminess, which is the whole point of the dessert.
5. Turn the oven up to 200 °C until it colours. That final blast of heat is what forms the golden crust and the contrast with the interior.
6. Let it cool slightly and serve dusted with gofio and with a drizzle of palm honey.

Three details that make the difference

• The cheese is in charge: the better the smoked goat's cheese, the better the cheesecake. It is worth seeking out a good Canarian one, of the kind sold at the farmers' markets.
• The baking point is the dessert: the difference between a memorable cheesecake and an ordinary one lies in taking it out while the centre is still wobbling. Watch the last few minutes.
• The gofio, at the last moment: dust it on just before serving, so it keeps its dry texture and its toasted note.

Try it in Tegueste

The house desserts change with the season, just like the rest of our menu and the tasting menus. If you would like to try this cheesecake, or whatever is coming out of the pastry kitchen that week, we are in Tegueste from Wednesday to Sunday: C. El Lomo, 18 — phone 922 57 86 15.