Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Line a colander with cheesecloth. Place the brocciu cheese in the colander, cover with the cheesecloth, and place a plate on top. Weigh down the plate and let the cheese drain in the refrigerator overnight (12 hours).
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter. Cut a 9-inch round of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. Lightly butter the parchment paper. Place the prepared pan in the refrigerator.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and egg yolk on medium-high speed until pale and frothy, about 45 seconds. Slowly stream in the sugar while beating until the mixture is thickened, fluffy, and tripled in volume, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the strained cheese from the colander and place it in a large bowl. Add the brandy, lemon zest, chestnut honey, and salt. Whisk to combine. Gently fold the beaten egg mixture into the cheese mixture until smooth and emulsified. Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sides of the cheesecake pull away from the pan slightly and the center has a slight jiggle. The edges should be lightly browned with some brown spotting on top. Remove from the oven and let the cheesecake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
- To make the candied lemon zest, combine 1 cup water, lemon peel strips, lemon juice, glucose syrup, and 1/4 cup sugar in a small pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer undisturbed for 25 to 30 minutes, until the lemon peels are soft and translucent and the liquid has almost evaporated. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl, reserving the peels and discarding the syrup. Transfer the peels to a shallow bowl, add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and toss to coat. Let dry in the sugar for 10 minutes, then sift away and discard any excess sugar.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Place the figs, cut side down, in the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden on the cut sides. Remove from heat.
- Carefully release the sides of the springform pan. If desired, remove the base and transfer the fiadone to a platter. Cut the fiadone into 8 slices, cleaning your knife with a damp cloth between slices. Top each slice with 2 grilled fig halves. Drizzle with chestnut honey and garnish with candied lemon zest.
Notes
The candied lemon zest can be made up to 3 weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Brocciu cheese is a soft, fresh cheese from Corsica. If you cannot find it, fresh sheep's milk ricotta cheese is a good substitute.