The Secret Ingredient Murders: A Eugenia Potter Mystery (26 page)

T
HE
R
ECIPES

L
OBSTER
B
ISQUE
S
ERVES 8
.

¼ cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

Butter

2 one-pound lobsters, cooked, meat removed and cut into chunks, shells reserved

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Bay leaf

⅓ cup chopped carrots

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon

½ cup white wine or sherry

5 cups fish stock (chicken broth
may be substituted)

2 cups heavy cream

In a soup pot, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Add the cracked shells, salt and pepper, bay leaf, carrots, parsley, and 1 tablespoon tarragon. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften. Add sherry or white wine and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add fish stock or broth. Cook 45 minutes to 1 hour over low heat.

Remove the shells and puree the bisque in a blender or food processor. Place the mixture over low heat. Add the cream and 1 stick butter.

Make a roux of butter and flour. Stir into the strained bisque until the desired thickness is attained. In a pan, sauté the lobster meat quickly over high heat. Place in the soup pot and salt and pepper to taste.

Pour into soup bowls, sprinkle the remaining tarragon on top, and serve.

L
INDSAY’S
B
LUE
S
UEDE
S
OUP
S
ERVES 4 TO 6
.

Lindsay’s mother told her Elvis Presley invented this soup in an effort to get the kids to eat blueberries.

3 cups fresh Rhode Island
blueberries

1 cup water

3 tablespoons sugar

1 whole clove

1 cinnamon stick

3 cups buttermilk

Juice of 1 lemon

½ teaspoon lemon or orange zest

2 tablespoons crème de cassis
(optional)

1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

Garnish

Lemon or orange twist

Sour cream

Handful of fresh mint leaves

Rinse blueberries, removing any green and damaged berries and stems, and drain.

In a large pot, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Stir the sugar until it dissolves and forms a syrup. Add 2 cups blueberries, clove, and cinnamon stick, reduce the heat, and simmer until the berries are tender, about 15 minutes.

Cool to room temperature; remove the cinnamon stick.

In blender or food processor, blend the buttermilk and berry mixture. Add the lemon juice, zest, and crème de cassis (if desired). Add the yogurt or sour cream. Process until smooth.

Stir in the remaining blueberries.

Serve in glass bowls with a twist of lemon or orange, dollop of sour cream, and mint leaves.

T
UNA IN
P
HYLLO
S
ERVES 4
.

⅔ cup basmati rice, cooked and cooled

4 fresh tuna fillets, 1 to 1½ inches thick, about 6 ounces each

1 cup chopped onions

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon capers, drained

1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

8 sheets phyllo

½ cup melted butter for basting phyllo

Poaching Broth

1 bay leaf

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup water

Wine Sauce

½ cup carrots and ½ cup leeks
,
cut in thin strips

¼ cup butter

1 cup chardonnay

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon flour

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

Cook basmati rice. Take off the burner and cool.

In a skillet or fish poacher, bring the poaching liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat, place the tuna in the broth, and poach, covered, for 5 minutes. Take off the burner and let cool in the liquid.

In a small skillet, sauté the onions in the butter over low heat until golden. Take off the heat and add the capers, juice of half a lemon, and salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the cooled cooked rice and mix well.

On a large, dry surface, lay out one sheet of phyllo. Brush with butter. Lay a second sheet on top and brush with butter. Fold the sheets in half crosswise and brush again. Place ⅛ of the rice mixture on the dough and place a tuna fillet on top of the rice. Season carefully with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place another ⅛ of rice on top of the fillet and fold the ends of the phyllo over the fish to form a package. Brush with butter one more time and place, seam side down, in a buttered baking dish large enough to hold all 4 tuna packages. Repeat the process with each fillet. Brush all packages one last time and bake in a 375-degree oven for 25 minutes, or until brown.

Arrange on a platter and spoon wine sauce over the tuna. Serve extra sauce on the side.

To make the wine sauce, sauté the carrots and leeks in butter. Boil down the chardonnay until reduced by half. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, flour, salt and pepper, half-and-half, and chicken broth. Add the lemon juice, parsley, basil, and the sautéed carrots and leeks. Add the mixture to the wine and stir together over low heat until thick (about 15 minutes).

J
ANIE’S
A
PPLES IN
J
ACKETS
S
ERVES 6
.

½ cup dark raisins

¼
cup small pieces of pecans

½
cup brandy (optional)

1½ cups granulated sugar

2 cups water

Butter

1¾
teaspoons cinnamon

1¾
teaspoons ground cloves

½
cup brown sugar

½ cup orange or apple juice

Unbaked pastry (2-cup flour recipe or prepared pastry)

6 medium-large Rhode Island greening apples (or any other tart apple)

2 egg yolks mixed with 1 teaspoon water

Soak raisins and nuts in ½ cup brandy (if desired) for an hour or longer.

In a saucepan, bring to a boil 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 cups water, 3 tablespoons butter, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is syrupy.

Mix the cloves, remaining cinnamon, brown and granulated sugars into the raisin and nut mixture and add the apple or orange juice. Mix well.

Roll the pastry to an ⅛-inch thickness (approximately) and cut into six 7-inch squares.

Peel and core the apples.

Place 1 apple on each square of pastry. Spoon the filling into the hollow center. Dot with butter.

Bring the corners of the pastry together at the top of the apple, moisten, and press together until sealed.

If desired, with extra pastry, cut out designs and press into top of pastry-covered apples.

Carefully place apples, a couple of inches apart, into a large baking dish. Pour the hot syrup around the apples. Brush the tops of the apples with the egg yolk/water mixture.

Bake in a preheated oven (425 degrees) for 40 minutes, or until the crust is well browned and the apples are cooked through.

Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

For Virginia Rich

A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS

The entire credit for this mystery series goes to the late, beloved Virginia Rich. But one-half of the credit for this particular book goes to Sally Goldenbaum, cook, writer, and friend extraordinaire.

By Nancy Pickard

T
HE
W
HOLE
T
RUTH

T
WILIGHT

C
ONFESSION

B
UT
I W
OULDN’T
W
ANT TO
D
IE
T
HERE

I.O.U.

B
UM
S
TEER

D
EAD
C
RAZY

M
ARRIAGE
I
S
M
URDER

N
O
B
ODY

S
AY
N
O TO
M
URDER

G
ENEROUS
D
EATH

By Virginia Rich

T
HE
N
ANTUCKET
D
IET
M
URDERS

T
HE
B
AKED
B
EAN
S
UPPER
M
URDERS

T
HE
C
OOKING
S
CHOOL
M
URDERS

By Nancy Pickard based on characters and a story created by Virginia Rich

T
HE
27-I
NGREDIENT
C
HILI CON
C
ARNE
M
URDERS

T
HE
B
LUE
C
ORN
M
URDERS

T
HE
S
ECRET
I
NGREDIENT
M
URDERS