A Deadly Eclair Recipe, Review, & Giveaway

To celebrate the paperback release of A Deadly Éclair I'd like to welcome Daryl Wood Gerber back to the blog. Daryl will share a wonderful recipe and I'll share my review of this first French Bistro Mystery.

Giveaway below!  Don’t miss out.

Hi, all! I’m so happy to be on the Great Escapes Tour. I’d like to share some of my favorite recipes from A Deadly Éclair, the 1^st French Bistro Mystery. It came out in  hardcover in November, but I’m excited to say it’s out in trade paperback as of June 12. Yay!  And the second in the series, A Soufflé of Suspicion, comes out July 10!

I love brunch. There’s something about the meal that feels so special, and almost decadent if you have a mimosa or bloody Mary with it. As much as I like desserts, I adore eggs. I have to eat gluten-free, so I found a delicious English Muffin online by New Grains that is incredible!

Once I found that, I knew I was able to taste test my Eggs Benedict recipe. I love this recipe. It’s a speedy version, yet consistently good. It is what I consider the perfect comfort food. We all need comfort food, right?

Enjoy the recipe, and please tell a friend about A Deadly Éclair and the giveaway for this tour!

Eggs Benedict

(serves 2)

Hollandaise Sauce

3 egg yolks

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 dash hot pepper sauce, like Tabasco

¼ teaspoon white pepper

½ cup butter (one stick)

In the blender, combine the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, and white pepper. Blend for about 5-10 seconds.

Put the butter into a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup and melt completely, about 30-45 seconds.

Set the blender on high speed and add the melted butter to the egg mixture in a thing stream. It will thicken up, fast. 

NEAT TRICK:  You can keep the sauce warm until serving by placing the blender itself in a pan of hot water.

To make the sandwich:

4 eggs

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 English muffin, sliced in half (using a fork)

2 slices Canadian bacon

2-4 teaspoons butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Preheat oven to broil.

Meanwhile, to poach the eggs, fill a large saucepan with about 3 inches of water. Bring the water to a simmer (small bubbles forming around the edges), then add 1 tablespoon vinegar.

Carefully break eggs into simmering water, and allow to cook for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.  The whites try to get away. Don’t worry. They’ll return. When done, the yolks should be soft in the center.

Remove the eggs from water with a slotted spoon and set the eggs on a warm plate.

While the eggs are poaching, heat a medium skillet on medium-high heat and brown the Canadian bacon, turning once.  Also, set the English muffins on a baking sheet and toast them under the broiler until lightly brown, about 3-4 minutes.

To plate:

Set the 2 halves of English muffins on 2 plates. Butter lightly with 1-2 teaspoons butter, each.  Top with a slice each of the Canadian bacon followed by a poached egg. 

Drizzle warm Hollandaise sauce over each half of the sandwich and sprinkle with chives.

Serve warm.

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Review

A DEADLY ECLAIR by Daryl Wood Gerber

The First French Bistro Mystery

With the help of a benefactor, Mimi Rousseau's restaurant and inn are starting to thrive. When the benefactor, Bryan Baker, suggests she cater to destination weddings, he provides the first one, his niece, a local celebrity. While everything goes smoothly in regard to food and service, fissures in the family start to fracture and tensions run high at the out-of-towners' dinner. Still, nothing could prepare Mimi for the shock when the bride to be wakes her in the early hours of the morning having found Bryan dead. As Mimi copes with another loss she also realizes she's a prime suspect.

Daryl Wood Gerber has set her new series in a prime location, a small enclave in Napa Valley amidst vineyards and upscale shops. Protagonist Mimi Rousseau owns, not only a restaurant, but an inn, both easily providing ample prospects for suspects and murders, as well as wonderful recipes.

Themes of loss and trust are explored in this mystery. While many of the suspects are overdramatic in their reactions to Mimi, the core cast is stable with interesting aspects that I hope will be explored and developed in future installments.

A DEADLY ECLAIR serves up a delicious blend of characters, setting, and mystery in the first French Bistro Mystery.

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