Chef Scott Kroener joined Oak Steakhouse in 2022, bringing a focus on refined hospitality and seasonal menus that take their inspiration from a single ingredient with him. “I eat a particular ingredient and I start to think what would go with it. How can I get that on plate?” he says. “It snowballs from there.”
His crème brûlée cheesecake was born out of his love of desserts—emphasis on the plural. He tells a story of the early days dating his (now) wife when he took her to his restaurant for dinner. Dessert time approached and he ordered two of his favorites: a crème brûlée and a slice of cheesecake. She reminded him that she didn’t want anything and told him he could not eat two desserts. The chef came up with the perfect solution. “I started to think I could make them into one dessert. Voilà!” Kroener describes how easy it is to give this doubly delicious dessert a seasonal twist. “Take the ripest, freshest fruit that is in season and make a chutney, salsa, or compote,” he says. “Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and the fruit mixture.”
And when it comes to pulling out the torch to get that perfect brûlée top? He advises “holding the torch a little further away than you think you should, and moving the torch slowly in a circle, making sure not to burn the sugar to a black color.” He also offers these final words of wisdom: “You can always torch it more, if needed, but you can’t ‘untorch.’” (Oak Steakhouse, 801 Clark Pl.; oaksteakhouserestaurant.com)
Crust:
- 12 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 pounds butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling:
- 11 ounces egg
- 3 pounds cream cheese
- 12 ounces Sour cream
- 10 ounces sugar
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons vanilla
Crème Brûlée Portion:
- 2 quarts heavy cream
- 2 cups egg yolks
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
Directions:
- Mix crust ingredients together, ensuring all crumbs are coated in butter, then pack the mixture into the bottom of the cheesecake pan. (Wrap the bottom of the pan with foil to prepare for the water bath.)
- Prepare the cheesecake filling by combining cream cheese and sugar in a mixer on medium, scraping the bowl as you go.
- Slowly add eggs while mixing on low. Then add sour cream and vanilla and mix for around 2 1⁄2 minutes on medium, scraping the sides as you go.
- Pour into cheesecake pan and bake at 300 degrees in a water bath for 25 minutes.
- Turn the oven off, open the doors, and let cool for 15 minutes.
- While the cheesecake is cooling, make the creme brûlée filling.
- In a steel mixing bowl. place half of the sugar and all the yolks. Mix well with a wire whisk. Set aside.
- In a heavy bottom sauce pot place heavy cream, vanilla paste, and remaining sugar. Heat on high until the cream mixture starts to boil. Turn off heat and temper in egg yolk mix.
- Pour brûlée filling into a spoon held over the cheesecake layer. (This protects the cheesecake from warm creme brûlée batter.)
- Continue cooking in the water bath until it jiggles. (Check first at 15 minutes.)
- Once completely cool, top with the raw sugar and torch it.