Chicken Fried Steak Benedict
In Out of Temper, Felicity gets to go on a cruise to demo her chocolate making skills. I invented a cruise line sailing only out of Texas, so I wanted the food philosophy to be cruise ship fancy with a Texas flair. One thing I’ve always seen on ships is various forms of eggs benedict. (The cruise we recently went on even had a crab cake Benedict.) But since chicken fried steak is more or less synonymous with Texas, I wanted that to be the star of the dish Felicity gets on the cruise. I’ve actually gotten to try something similar at a local restaurant, but I wanted to make it a bit more unique to the Bean to Bar Mysteries sensibilities – and to match the sensibilities I imagined for the chef aboard the ship – so it’s built on a jalapeno biscuit (recipe also on the bonus page) and topped with a cocoa powder gravy, which gives the whole dish an earthy note. (No, it is not sweet.) Enjoy y’all!
1 lb. cube steak, trimmed of excess fat
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 c. all-purpose flour
2 whole eggs, beaten
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. whole milk
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
For Poached Eggs:
4 eggs
1 Tbsp. vinegar
½ tsp. salt
For Assembling:
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
2 jalapeno herb biscuits (see accompanying recipe)
For the Steak:
Trim cube steak down to a square ½ inch longer and wider than the biscuit. Season each steak on both sides with the salt and pepper. Set aside. Place the flour into a pie pan. Place the eggs into a separate pie pan. Dredge the steaks on both sides in the flour, followed by the egg and finally in the flour again. Place the steaks onto a plate and allow them to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.
Place the vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the meat, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook each piece on both sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side. Repeat until all of the meat is browned. Place on a plate and set aside.
Whisk in 2 tablespoons of the flour left over from the dredging and 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder into the pan the steak was cooked in. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the milk and thyme and whisk until the gravy coats the back of a spoon. Season to taste, with more salt and pepper, if needed. Set aside.
Poaching the Eggs:
Pour enough water into a large sauce pan to reach a depth of about 3 inches, add vinegar. Bring sauce pan to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Get the water to swirl using a spoon. Crack an egg into a cup and carefully slide it into the hot swirling poaching liquid. Poach the egg, turning it occasionally with a spoon, until the whites are firm, or to the desired degree of doneness, about 3 1/2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the egg. Lightly dab the egg with a paper towel to remove any excess water. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
Assembling the Benedict:
Take half a biscuit and layer the steak, spinach, poached egg, and gravy. Serve immediately.
Sunset Cruise’s Roast Beef Sandwich
For the cruise line I invented for Out of Temper, I wanted the chef’s sensibility to be upscale (as typical for “cruise food”) but with a Texas flair. One thing I’ve found ships I’ve been on always do well is sandwiches and cuts of meat. So I wrote in a scene where Felicity and Logan don’t have time for a meal in the dining room and grab roast beef sandwiches instead. Which left me to figure out: what would this Texan chef do to combine the sensibilities, and still have the sandwich feel upscale? I started with the rub on the beef, giving it an earthy note with coffee. Then I added pepperjack cheese and pickled okra to the sandwich ingredients. Because if pickled okra doesn’t say Texas, then nothing does.
These are generous sandwiches. If you make them on smaller rolls – or even on toast – adjust the amount of toppings accordingly. If you don’t like grainy mustard, use yellow mustard, or your favorite mayo (in our house, we’re fans of Japanese mayo).
1 (3-lb.) round roast
¼ c. olive oil
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. ground coffee
For each sandwich:
1 large round roll, cut in half to make a bun
6 slices roast beef
3 Tbsp. Grainy mustard
2 slices pepper jack cheese
¼ c. spring greens
pickled okra, sliced (appx. 2 pods)
tomato, sliced (appx. 3 slices)
onion, cut into rings (appx. 3 rings)
bell pepper, sliced (appx. 5 slices)
For the Roast:
Let roast sit uncovered in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or until the next day. Remove from refrigerator and let sit for, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 525°. In a small bowl, combine oil, salt, pepper, and coffee. Rub all over roast. Be sure to get the bottom of the roast.
Place roast in roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack. Roast for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 275° and roast about 2 hours. Remove from oven and let rest 15 to 30 minutes before serving. We usually use a bottom round roast. Even tougher and more lean cuts of meat will cook down and be tender.
Making the Sandwiches:
Place the bun on a plate, with both cut sides up. Divide the mustard and spread evenly on both cut sides. Stack the roast beef onto the bottom bun, top with cheese, lettuce and cut veggies and place the other half of the bun on top, cut side in. Slice sandwich in half vertically.
Becky’s Egg Cream
In Out of Temper, Felicity gets invited to lecture on a cruise ship. Of course, chaos ensues. She winds up in different parts of the ship looking for clues. The bartender recognizes Felicity as the “chocolate detective” and makes her an egg cream, because it just feels right.
Ingredients:
1/4 c. milk, very cold
1 1/2 c. club soda (approximately), chilled
3 Tbsp. Fox’s U-Bet Chocolate Syrup (or similar, but Fox’s is considered essential for the most authentic flavor)
Pour the milk into a 16 ounce glass. Add club soda until the foam in the glass is about a quarter inch from the top. Then add 3 tablespoons of the chocolate syrup and stir rapidly to combine. Serve immediately.
Carmen’s Lemon Basil and Pine Nut Brownies
In Out of Temper, my protagonist Felicity gets invited to do chocolate-making demos on board a cruise ship. She brings along samples of some baked goods from her shop to show what it possible to create using the unique flavor profiles found in craft chocolate.
The basil brownies she shows off were inspired by Italian flavors, of pesto and coffee. (One side of Felicity’s family is Italian, so it makes sense for her to draw from these flavors. She has a pastry chef who handles baking and recipe design, drawing from several different culinary traditions.) The strength of the basil makes for a sophisticated balance with the sweetness of the brownie. Don’t worry if your kitchen smells like you’re making something savory while the brownies are baking. It will be very “brownie-like” when you are done.
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
¾ c. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. strong espresso
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ C. granulated sugar
3 eggs
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. tightly packed fresh basil, very finely minced
½ c. pine nuts
2 tbsp. candied lemon peel, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8×8 brownie pan with parchment paper.
Place the chocolate, butter, espresso and vanilla extract in the top section of a double boiler over medium heat and whisk frequently until both chocolate and butter have melted and the mixture has a uniform consistency. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, then whisk in the sugar, eggs, salt and pepper. Gradually add the flour and the basil. Stir until just combined. Add the pine nuts and candied lemon peel and stir briefly to incorporate.
Spread the batter into the prepared brownie pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack, then cut into squares.
Sunset Cruise’s White Chocolate Victoria Sponge
I’ve adored the Victoria Sponge (a.k.a. a Victoria Sandwich) since Mary Berry assigned it to the contestants in Season 4 of Great British Bake Off. It’s such a simple design. And it feels like the more elegant cousin of the strawberry shortcake (which has a more biscuit-like base).
You know me – I can’t leave anything alone. Not even a classic like Victoria Sponge. So when I wrote one into Out of Temper, I wanted to add a chocolate element. But I didn’t want to ruin the look or feel, so it had to be white chocolate. And since Victoria herself was addicted to lavender, adding lavender was a no brainer.
This frosting is a bit on the sweet side. (After all, anything involving white chocolate is going to be.) If you prefer your desserts less sweet, you can substitute whipped cream. Both buttercream and whipped cream are classics in this cake. You can also use raspberry jam in place of the strawberry if you want a tart note.
NOTE: Not all herbs are suitable for everyone. Always check if herbs you want to include are appropriate.
1 ½ c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 c. caster sugar
1 c. softened butter, plus extra for greasing pans
4 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp. milk
1 batch white chocolate buttercream
1 batch strawberry lavender preserves
confectioner’s sugar, to decorate
Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter two 8-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
Place the caster sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. With the mixer on medium, cream until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix on medium until well combined before adding the next one. Add the milk and mix briefly. Add the flour mixture in three progressive additions, and mix until it makes a smooth, soft batter.
Pour the mixture into the cake pans, dividing evenly. Smooth the surface of the batter with a spatula. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until golden and the cake springs back when pressed. Turn each cake out onto a cooling rack, and allow to cool completely.
Spread the strawberry preserves on the top of one of the sponges. Top with beads of white chocolate buttercream. Place the second sponge on top. Dust the top of the top layer with confectioner’s sugar.
Strawberry Lavender Preserves
3 c. strawberries
11/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. lavender flowers
Juice of ½ lemon
Wash and hull strawberries and slice using an egg slicer. Combine the strawberries and the lavender sugar in a large pot and heat slowly until the juices become clear (4-6 minutes). Remove from the heat and stir in lemon juice. Bundle the lavender flowers into a square of cheesecloth and tie securely. Add the bundle to the strawberry mixture. Cover the pot loosely with plastic wrap let stand overnight. When you are ready to proceed, remove and discard the lavender flowers. Heat 2 or 3 ladles full of the strawberry mixture in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir for 3 -5 minutes, or until the preserves pass one of the tests for reaching the gel state.
Cool completely before you use as a filling. Refrigerate leftovers.
White Chocolate Buttercream
1/2 c. butter, softened
6 oz. white chocolate, melted and cooled somewhat
1 1/4 c. confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add the melted white chocolate and beat until thoroughly combined. Turn off the mixer and the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Beat at low speed until it forms a fluffy frosting.
Felicity’s Bread Pudding Truffle
In Out of Temper, Felicity gets to show off some of her favorite creations when she does a demo on board the cruise ship the book is set on. One of the things she makes is her bread pudding truffles. In the first Bean to Bar mystery, I talk about how she does a lot of her truffle flavors as inspired off of traditional desserts. When I got around to actually making a recipe for this, the big challenge was to add an element that was reminiscent of the crisp edges of bread in the pudding. I tried a few different things before I hit on the idea of Whoppers (which are hard enough to stay crunchy on the outside of the ganache).
1 c. heavy cream
1 lb. dark chocolate, chopped
1/8 c. raisins
1/2 c. pecans
¼ c. whiskey
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
Crushed Malted Milk Balls, for rolling
Place the chopped chocolate in a deep dish with a wide surface area. Pour the cream over it, and allow it to sit for several minutes, until the chocolate starts to melt. Whisk the mixture until smooth.
Place the raisins, pecans, whiskey, cracked black pepper, cinnamon and cloves in the bowl of a blender or food processor. Process until as smooth as possible. Pour the mixture over the chocolate/cream mixture and whisk until evenly combined. Place the ganache in the freezer for at least half an hour.
Roll the ganache mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball into the crushed malted milk balls.
Note: For gluten free, substitute crushed rice cereal for the milk balls. For nut free, omit pecans and allow for a longer cooling time.
Note: If you aren’t pressed for time, allow the ganache to set for several hours in the refrigerator instead of the shorter time in the freezer.