Quark Cheesecake, Nettle and Buttermilk Ice Cream - Chef Recipe by Robin Wickens

Ingredients

Quark Cheesecake:

900 g quark
250 g sugar
30 g corn flour
Zest of 1 lemon
3 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
285 g sour cream

Stinging Nettle Gel:

500 g picked stinging nettles
400 g cold water
25 g sugar
4 g salt
3.5 g agar agar

Liquid Cheesecake:

200 g cheesecake off cuts
200 g nettle gel

Buttermilk Ice Cream:

600 g cream
180 g sugar
9 egg yolks
300 ml buttermilk
35 g lemon juice

Method

Quark Cheesecake:

Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Pour into a 5cm deep square metal tray, 25cm x 25cm, lined with two layers of cling wrap.

Bake in a bath of warm water at 110C for 45 minutes until cheesecake has just started to set. Chill overnight. Carefully turn out cheesecake and cut into 8 squares, 5cm x 5cm. Reserve the off cuts of cheesecake.

Stinging Nettle Gel:

Blanch the nettles in boiling water and refresh in iced water. Squeeze off any excess water.

Blend the nettles with the 400 g water, sugar and salt until very smooth. Hang mixture in cheesecloth overnight. You will end up with 350 g nettle water.

Add nettle water and agar together and bring to boil. Allow to set in the fridge. Blend the set nettle into a smooth gel.

Liquid Cheesecake:

Blend the two ingredients together in thermomix at 50C until smooth. Alternatively, warm over a stove.

Buttermilk Ice Cream:

Combine all ingredients in thermomix and cook at 70C for 15 minutes until thick.

Alternatively warm cream, sugar on stove until just boiling, whisk onto egg yolks. Whisk in buttermilk and lemon juice and gently cook on stove until thick. Freeze in an ice cream machine.

To Serve:

Place a square of cheesecake on each plate, two dots of liquid cheesecake and one of nettle gel. Garnish with a scoop of buttermilk ice cream, some persevered lemon slice and brown butter powder.

Recipe provided by Wickens at the Royal Mail Hotel