Lobster and Shrimp Cheesecake

Lobster and Shrimp Cheesecake

1/2 lb. cooked Maine lobster

1/2 lb. lump crabmeat

1/2 lb. cooked jumbo shrimp

1 lb. mascarpone cheese

2 lb. cream cheese

5 eggs

1 1/4 C. flour

1/2 bunch scallions, diced

Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 250° F.

Cut cream cheese into pieces. Allow both cheeses to come to room temperature. Cut seafood into 1/2-inch cubes. In a heavy-duty mixer, or using a hand-held potato masher, blend mascarpone and cream cheese into a smooth paste, then slowly blend in eggs one at a time.

Sift flour into mixture while mixer is running. Mixer should be set on low to avoid lumps. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour into a mixing bowl and fold in seafood and scallions by hand with a rubber spatula. Do not overmix or lobster and crabmeat will break into small pieces. Pour mixture into a greased 10-inch springform pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until cheesecake is golden-brown and firm. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Serve with Pesto Sauce, if desired.

Pesto Sauce

1 lb. unsalted butter
2 shallots
8 oz. dry white wine
4 oz. cooked jumbo shrimp, sliced in half
4 oz. lump crabmeat
3 oz., or 1/3 cup, prepared pesto
2 T. fresh lemon juice

Dice butter and allow to come to room temperature. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat and sauté shallots until soft (do not brown). Add wine and reduce by half over high heat. Slowly whip in all but 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter to form an emulsified sauce. Strain, pressing shallots with a spoon to extract juice, and set aside.

Sauté shrimp and crabmeat in the remaining butter in a saucepan over low heat until hot. Add pesto to seafood and bring to a boil. Add wine sauce to pesto, reduce heat, and warm it just a little (do not boil or sauce will separate). Add lemon juice. Serve over cheesecake.

Yields: 12 to 16 appetizer portions.