Crabmeat Cheesecake With Pecan Crust (creole)

Total Time: 1 hr 43 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 58 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3/4 cup pecans
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
• 3 tablespoons ice water
• 1/2 small onion, finely diced
• 4 ounces fresh lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 dash salt, to taste
• 1 dash pepper, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons shallots, chopped
• 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced (mixed wild & exotic)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 ounces worcestershire sauce
• 1 ounce hot sauce
• 3 ounces heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 24 crab, claw fingers
• 1 dash salt, to taste
• 1 dash black pepper, to taste

Recipe

• 1 for the pecan crust: preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
• 2 grind the pecans, flour & salt in a food processor until fine, then transfer to a bowl.
• 3 add butter, working it into the flour until there are crumbs the size of small peas.
• 4 toss in the ice water, & using fingers, lift up the dough to incorporate evenly. [the dough will remain fairly crumbly].
• 5 starting with the sides, & then the bottom, press the dough into a 9" tart pan.
• 6 bake crust for about 20 minutes, then allow it to cool before filling. meanwhile, reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees f.
• 7 for the filling: cook the onion in a little butter over medium heat until translucent.
• 8 add crabmeat & cook just until heated through, then remove from heat & set aside.
• 9 in a mixing bowl, using a wooden spoon, blend the cream cheese until smooth, then add the yogurt & sour cream. after that add the eggs one at a time.
• 10 fold this cheese mixture into the crabmeat mixture, & season to taste with salt, pepper & hot sauce.
• 11 pour this mixture into the prepared & cooled crust, then bake for about 30 minutes until set & firm to the touch.
• 12 for the garnish: saute shallots until translucent, then add mushrooms and 'sweat' until just cooked through.
• 13 add lemon juice, worcestershire sauce & hot sauce, & cook until the mixture is reduced by 3/4.
• 14 add heavy cream & cook until reduced by half, then whisk in the butter.
• 15 in a separate saute pan, add crab claw fingers. salt & pepper to taste, then pour the reduced mixture over the crab claws & keep warm.
• 16 each slice of cheesecake gets 3 crab claws & 2 tablespoons of the reduced sauce.