Smoked Salmon Cheesecake

This makes a great luncheon entree or a superb appetizer for a dinner party. Depending on when you plan to serve this, it serves 10-12 guests.

• 1  1/2 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup panko crumbs, toasted
• 1/4 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 28 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 3/4 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 8 oz. smoked salmon, broken into flakes
• pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brush really well with butter, a 9 inch springform pan. Mix the first 4 ingredients together and dust the pan (bottom and sides) with the mixture, making sure to coat it well. Place in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

In a frypan, saute the finely chopped onion until it is transluscent and set aside.  With a mixer, beat the cream cheese and eggs until fluffy. Beat in the whipping cream. Fold in the onion and salmon.  Pour into prepared pan.

Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with tin foil and go to the next step. Set the pan inside a roasting pan adding boiling water about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes until set.  Leave the oven door open a little, cool the cheesecake for 1 hour.  Transfer to a cooling rack, remove the tin foil and cool to room temperature before serving.

Place a lemon slice resting on the side  of the pie with a sprinkle of finely chopped fresh dill.  Two to three crackers on the plate will complete the dish.