Savory Satisfaction

Pecan Crust

3/4 cup pecans

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 Tablespoons butter, chilled

3 Tablespoons ice water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grind pecans fine in a food processor. Add flour and salt and process. Remove to a large mixing bowl and cut in butter with 2 knives until mixture resembles small peas. Add ice water and mix just until dough holds together. 

Roll dough to 1/8-inch-thick on a lightly floured surface. Press into a lightly greased 9-inch tart pan, starting with side and then bottom. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

Filling

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon butter

4 ounces crabmeat

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup Creole cream cheese (or sour cream)

2 eggs

1 Tablespoon Crystal hot sauce

Kosher salt and white pepper, to taste

(Sautéed crab claws, for garnish *see below)

Set oven to 300 degrees. Sauté onion in butter in a sauté pan until translucent. Add crabmeat and cook just until heated through. Remove from heat. 

Beat cream cheese in a mixer fitted with a paddle, or with a wooden spoon, until smooth. Add the Creole cream cheese and mix well. Mix in eggs one at a time. Fold in crabmeat mixture gently. Stir in hot sauce and season with kosher salt and white pepper. 

Spoon the filling into prepared crust and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until firm to touch. 

MEUNIÈRE SAUCE WITH MUSHROOMS

1 lemon, peeled, cut into quarters

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup Crystal hot sauce

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 pound butter, chopped

Kosher salt and white pepper, to taste

2 cups sliced mixed mushrooms

2 Tablespoons butter

Combine lemon, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce in a heavy saucepot. Cook over medium heat until thick and syrupy, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Whisk in cream. 

Reduce the heat to low and add 1 pound butter one piece at a time, mixing until completely incorporated before adding more butter. Remove from the heat and stir until completely smooth. Season with kosher salt and white pepper. Strain through a fine strained and keep warm. 

Sauté the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet until the mushrooms are tender and the moisture has completely evaporated; excess moisture from the mushrooms may cause the sauce to break when the mushrooms are added. Stir the mushrooms into the sauce. . 

To Serve: Slice cheesecake and place on serving plates. Top each serving with warm sauce and garnish with 3 sautéed crab claw fingers.

Palace Café, 605 Canal St., 523-1661, PalaceCafe.com