Page 130 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2020

DINING SAVORY
Cheesecake??
130 | September 2020
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
Sweet, decadent and rich are some common adjectives when one thinks of cheesecake,
right? Whenever I hear “cheesecake,” I think of strawberries, chocolate, or maybe even caramel. As much as I envision cheesecake to be on the sweeter side, I was wondering what it would be like if I skipped the sweet stu and dove into the savory side. Savory cheesecake? Sounds blasphemous, I know.
I began to wonder more about it and even tried a few savory versions others had made. I was blown away and never thought I would be saying I could easily enjoy a savory cheesecake just as much as
a sweet one. I wanted to try and make my own version, so I did. I used the base of my usual recipe, but omitted the sugar and swapped for some Cajun avors. I threw some sautéed trinity, crab, Cajun
sausage, spices, hot sauce, and a few other ingredients into the mix.
While the cheesecake was baking, I was thinking of sauces. This cheesecake is going to be fatty, creamy, and over-the-top, so I needed a sauce that would mellow out the richness, but still make those avors pop! New Orleans Barbecue sauce was the answer. The sweetness, spice, and acidity were the perfect compliments. If that wasn’t crazy enough, I added some sautéed shiitake mushrooms and crab claws to top it all o !
Overall, this was one of the best things I have ever baked and I encourage you to try baking a savory cheesecake yourself. Trust me, you won’t regret it. “But how do I eat it?!” Grab some of your favorite crackers, pull up a chair, and dig in.
story and photos by Lauren Jo rion