MEXICAN CHEESECAKE (SAVOURY)

Steps:

• Oven dry the tortillas at 200F directly on an oven rack for 45 minutes, until very crackly crisp.
• When the tortillas are cool, grind very fine in a food processor.
• Place in an airtight bag until ready to use.
• May be done several days ahead.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Brush the inside of a 9-inch springform pan with melted butter and carefully coat with tortilla crumbs.
• Tap out excess and reserve for topping.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer or food processor, beat together the cheeses, sour cream, garlic, jalapenos, salsa, tomato paste, salt, pepper and eggs.
• Beat until smooth.
• Fold in the cilantro and beaten egg whites.
• Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle top evenly with remaining tortilla crumbs.
• Wrap bottom of pan in heavy aluminum foil to prevent leaking.
• Place pan inside a larger pan and pour in enough hot water to come up 1 inch.
• Bake for 70 minutes.
• Test center with a knife, which should come out clean.
• Cool in oven with door ajar.
• Remove sides from pan, but leave cake on the pan bottom.
• Place on platter.
• Surround with watercress.
• Place a bouquet of watercress on center of the cake.
• Garnish with crescents of avocado.
• Cut into wedges and serve with tomato salsa on the side.
• The cheesecake is best not refrigerated, so ideally, it should come out of the oven about 2 hours before serving time.