Tasso Cheesecake with Creole Tomato Glace and Zapp's Potato Chips

Appetizers

Serves 10 to 12

Recipe courtesy of Chef Manny Augello, Jolie Bistro, Lafayette

Ingredients:

20 ounces smoked tasso ham
1 pound Mascarpone cheese, softened
2 pounds cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup grated red onion
11/4 tablespoons smoked paprika (pimentón)
1 cup heavy cream
3 eggs
5 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon each salt, freshly ground black pepper
Creole Tomato Glace (recipe follows)
Zapp's Crawtator potato chips

Creole Tomato Glace:

5 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, preferably Creole, quartered
1 cup olive oil
1 cup peeled whole garlic cloves
11/2 pounds red onions, medium dice
1/2 ounce each fresh thyme and oregano (stemmed 1 ounce each thyme and oregano)
1 tablespoon ground chili powder
3 fresh bay leaves
1 tablespoon each salt and freshly ground pepper
13/4 cups apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar

Tasso Cheesecake with Creole Tomato Glace on Zapp's Crawtator Chips

Click image to enlarge.

Method:

Cheese Cake:

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Combine tasso, mascarpone, cream cheese, onion, pimentón, cream, eggs, yolks, and salt and pepper in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment; blend on low until smooth.Wrap sides of the cooled spring-form pan with foil to create a water-tight seal. Pour mixture into spring-form and set within a larger baking dish or pan; pour boiling water into pan to come half way up the side of the spring-form. Cover with additional foil. Bake, undisturbed, until set, about 1½ hours. Remove foil and continue baking until top is lightly golden.

Creole Tomato Glace:

Preheat oven to 450ºF.

Toss all ingredients except sugar and apple cider vinegar in a very large bowl. Scrape tomato mixture onto a very large jelly roll pan or baking sheet; bake, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are blistered. Cool. Peel tomatoes; pulse ingredients in food processor until blended but some texture remains. Mix in vinegar and sugar. Add contents to a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium-low heat and cook down over a simmer until glace has lost most of its water content, 30 to 45 minutes. Allow to rest overnight before use. Makes about 3 cups.

To serve place dalops of cheesecake on Zappa's Crawtator potato chips; drizzle with Creole Tomato Glace