RECIPES FOR YOUR
MYSTERY DINNER
PARTY
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Gourmet Menu
submitted by Ann Warren [Warren61889@msn.com]
This is a menu for a very formal dinner I have
developed to put on your site. I hope it is good enough to receive
a free mystery.
I am only in high
school and had to concoct a full menu in which I prepared and served
to my instructor. I received an A+.
Consomme with Royale (soup)
6 lb. lean shin bones and marrow bones
4 quarts cold water
8 black peppercorns
6 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tsp thyme
3 sprigs parsley
1 large diced carrot
3 ribs celery, diced
1 cup drained canned or fresh tomatoes
1 diced medium-sized onion
1 diced small white turnip
2 egg white slightly beaten
2 egg shells crumbled
3 tablespoons Marsala
1/2 cup milk or stock
1/8 tsp each salt, paprika, nutmeg
1 egg
Cut into bones and brown in a 350 degree oven. Place in a large
stockpot with the cold water. Bring slowly to a boil, reduce heat
and simmer,
uncovered, about 30 min. Remove scum and add peppercorns, cloves,
bay leaf, thyme, parsley, carrot, celery, tomatoes, onion, and
turnip. Bring to a boil and then simmer, partly covered, at least
6 hours.
Strain the
stock. Cool uncovered, and refrigerate covered until cooled.
Stir in
egg whites and shells very well. Bring the soup very, very slowly,
without stirring, just to a simmer. As the soup heats the egg
brings to the top
a heavy, crusty foam more than an inch thick. Do not skim this,
push it to one side so you can see through to make sure no real
boiling takes place. Continue simmering for 10 to 15 minutes. Move pot
from
heat source
an let it stand 10 minutes to 1 hour. Wring out a cloth in hot
water and suspend it, like a jelly bag, above a large pan. Again
push the
scummy crust to one side and ladle the soup carefully, straining
it through
the cloth. Simmer soup and add Marsala and Royale (below), just
long enough to heat the Royale through. Serve. Makes 2 quarts of
soup.
ROYALE
Beat together milk/stock, salt, paprika, nutmeg, egg. Pour to 1/2
in. thickness into a well-buttered 9-in pie pan. Place pan in
another pan
of hot water on a rack. Bake for 25 minutes at 300 degrees. Cool
before cutting into fancy shapes or dicing.
Bread Sticks
most any bread dough
Melted butter or 1 beaten egg
choice of topping: coarse salt, poppy seed, fresh celery seed,
chopped nutmeats, caraway seeds
Pinch off small pieces of dough that has risen once. Roll into
sticks of pencil thickness. Brush with butter/egg. Place sticks
onto a buttered
baking sheet. Sprinkle with topping. Let rise until doubled in
bulk. Bake in a 425 degree oven until brown and crisp.
Lobster Parfait
Meat of 1 freshly killed and cooked 2 1/2 lb. lobster, or 2 cups
cooked meat from frozen lobster tails
3 tablespoons tomato puree
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tsp brandy
1/2 cup water
1 minced clove garlic
1 finely chopped shallot
1 1/2 tablespoons whipping cream
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
4 oz additional lobster meat per serving
Chilled Whipped Cream
Watercress
Puree lobster in blender with tomato puree, lemon juice,
sherry, brandy, water. Mix in garlic, shallot. Cook mixture over
low heat until reduced
by one-third. Cool, add whipping cream, mayonnaise, paprika,
salt. Chill 1 1/2 hours. Arrange additional lobster meat in
6 parfait
glasses. Cover
meat with chilled sauce, letting it trickle down in parfait
style. Garnish with whipped cream and watercress. Makes 6 servings
Filet Mignon with Bearnaise Sauce
A fillet of beef at least 5 lb.
Broiled mushrooms
sprigs of parsley
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots or onion
2 crushed white peppercorns
2 sprigs tarragon, chopped
1 sprig chervil, finely chopped
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup melted butter
season to taste
Remove meat from refrigerator about 1 hour before. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Remove surplus fat and skin. Fold over thin end of fillet and secure with a string. Spread meat generously with butter or tie strips of bacon over it. Place on rack in a greased roasting pan in the oven. Do not cover or baste it. Reduce heat immediately to 400 degrees and bake 30 minutes in all. A fillet is usually cooked rare when the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees. Season when done. Surround fillet with mushrooms. Garnish with parsley. Serve with Bearnaise Sauce (below) and Puffed Potatoes.
BEARNAISE SAUCE
In top of double boiler, combine wine, vinegar, shallots/onion,
peppercorns, tarragon, chervil. Cook over direct heat
until reduced by half. If
you have used dry tarragon or coarsely chopped onion,
strain the mixture. Allow it to cool. The, beating briskly over-not
in-hot
water, add yolks,
butter and seasoning a little at a time beating steadily
so they are combined. It should be the consistency of
Hollandaise.
Puffed Potatoes
8 large potatoes, matured until no longer able to pierce
skin with fingernail
ice water
rendered beef kidney fat or vegetable oil
Cut unprepared potatoes lengthwise
evenly into 1/8 inch slices. Soak sliced for 25 minutes in ice water.
Dry
thoroughly. Have ready a
deep-fat-frying kettle one-third full of oil heated
to 275
degrees. Drop slices in
separately. Do not crowd the pan. The slices will sink.
When they rise, use a continual
shaking motion with the pan, which will produce waves
to keep them bathed in the oil. Keep cooking, turning
once,
until they
begin
to clarify toward
the centers and show difference in texture at the cut
edges. Drain on paper toweling. Cool and drain for
5 minutes.
Drop them again
one by
one into a fryer filled 1/3 full with the fat at 385
degrees. Again agitate the pan. They should puff at
once. Cook to
a golden brown.
Drain and
dry on paper toweling. Salt and serve in a basket to
keep them crisp.
Creamed Spinach
2 cups boiled spinach
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon very finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup hot cream or stock
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
1 hard-cooked egg
Blend or chop spinach into a fine puree in blender.
Set aside. Melt butter in skillet. Add onion and
cook till
golden. Stir
in flour
until blended.
Stir in slowly cream/stock, and sugar. When sauce
is smooth and hot, add spinach. Stir and cook 3 minutes.
Season with
salt,
pepper. Garnish
with egg.
Belgian Endive with Vinaigrette
2 heads Belgian Endive
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 to 1/2 tsp prepared mustard
3/4 cup olive or walnut oil
Place salt, pepper, vinegar/lemon juice,
and mustard in the bottom of a jar. Lid and shake until blended.
Add gradually,
shaking
between additions
the oil. Serve over prepared Belgian Endive lettuce.
Lemon Sponge Custard
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon butter
2 tsp lemon rind
2 or 3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup milk
2 or 3 egg whites
thick cream or raspberry sauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together sugar, butter, lemon rind. Add yolks and beat well. Stir in flour. Alternately add juice and milk. Beat whites until stiff and fold into mixture. Place batter into custard cups. Set on rack in a pan filled with 1 inch of hot water. Bake about 45 minutes or until set. Serve hot or cold with cream or sauce.
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