Savory Crab Cheesecake Recipes

PALACE CAFE CRABMEAT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preparing the Pecan Crust:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Finely grind pecans in a food processor. Add flour and salt. Mix well. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and cut in butter, working butter into flour with 2 knives until dough is in crumbs the size of small peas. Add ice water and evenly incorporate into the mixture, which should remain fairly crumbly. Roll out dough to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Press dough into a lightly greased 9-inch tart pan, starting with the sides and then the bottom. Bake crust for 20 minutes, or until golden.
• Preparing the Filling:
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• In a skillet, saute onion in butter until translucent. Add crabmeat and cook just until heated through, then remove from heat. Blend cream cheese until smooth in a mixer fitted with a paddle, or by hand using a wooden spoon. Add Creole cream cheese and mix well. Mix in eggs 1 at a time. Gently fold in the crabmeat mixture. Stir in hot sauce and season, to taste, with salt and white pepper. Spoon filling into prepared crust. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
• Preparing the Meuniere Sauce and Garnish:
• Combine lemon, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce in a heavy saucepot. Reduce over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wire whisk until mixture becomes thick and syrupy. Whisk in heavy whipping cream. Reduce heat to low and slowly blend in butter, 1 cube at a time, adding additional butter only after each cube has been completely incorporated into the sauce. This process is called "mounting the butter." Remove from heat and continue to stir. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Strain through a fine strainer and keep warm.
• Saute mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter until tender and all moisture has cooked off. Excess water from the mushrooms may break your sauce if it isn't cooked off. Stir mushrooms into Meuniere sauce. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saute pan and warm crab fingers over low heat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• To serve:
• Slice cheesecake and top each piece with warm Meuniere sauce and 3 crab claws.

CREOLE SHRIMP & CRAB CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and dill; stir in butter. Press onto bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet., For cheesecake, in a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add red pepper, onion and carrot; cook and stir until tender. Stir in seasonings. Cool slightly., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, cream and sherry until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low just until combined. Fold in vegetable mixture, shrimp, crab and Gouda cheese. Pour over crust., Bake 60-65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled., In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, mustard and Creole seasoning. Remove rim from springform pan. Serve cheesecake with sauce and crackers.

SAVORY CRAB DIJON APPETIZER CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Cook shallots in butter in small skillet on medium heat 5 min. or until tender; cool. Beat cream cheese, half-and-half, mustard and flour in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.
• Stir in crabmeat, onions, 1/2 cup Parmesan, shallots and dill. Pour into 9-inch springform pan sprayed with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.
• Bake 40 min. or until center is set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 30 min. before serving. Serve as a spread on crackers.

SAVORY CRAB CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F In small bowl, mix crust ingredients. Press mixture in bottom of ungreased springform pan. Bake 5-9 minutes (until light golden brown).
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat filling ingredients except eggs and crabmeat on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Stir in crabmeat. Pour filling over crust. Bake an additional 40-50 minutes (use 9" pan). Cool for 30 minutes.
• With a knife, loosen edges of cheesecake. Cool an additional 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
• Serve with cocktail sauce and crackers.

SAVORY SUMMER CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter a 9-inch springform pan well.
• Start the filling: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute peppers and onions with a large pinch of salt until onions just start to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• While the pepper mixture is cooling, prepare the crust: Combine crushed cracker crumbs, dried Italian herbs, and melted butter in a mixing bowl. Stir until crumbs are coated.
• Transfer the buttered crumbs into the prepared springform pan and press down into an even layer. Set aside until needed.
• Continue the filling: Combine eggs, flour, kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the creme fraiche, cream cheese, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and mix until smooth. Stir in parsley, tarragon, thyme, and cooled pepper mixture until evenly combined.
• Transfer cheese mixture into the prepared springform pan. Tap the pan gently to settle the contents and place on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the lower center of the preheated oven until a skewer poked into the center comes out clean, 60 to 75 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and carefully remove the ring.
• Cheesecake should be thoroughly chilled in the refrigerator before serving, about 2 hours. Cheesecake can be served at room temperature, but it will not have the classic smooth, firm cheesecake texture, and will be more like a very light cheese quiche.