The Whole Enchilada (36 page)

Take the steaks out of the package and pat them on both sides with paper towels, until they are thoroughly dry.

Heat a large ovenproof grill pan on the stovetop over high heat. (If the steaks will not fit in the pan without crowding, you might have to use 2 pans. Alternatively, you could use a large oven-proof skillet.) When the pan is hot, add the oil. Heat for about 5 seconds (you do not want to burn the oil), then lay the steaks in the pan. Lower the heat to medium-high, sprinkle the steaks lightly with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute only.

Using tongs, flip the steaks and remove the pan from the heat. Insert a meat thermometer into one steak, place the grill pan in the oven, and cook until the thermometer indicates 125˚F (for medium-rare). Remove the pan from the oven and loosely cover it with foil for 5 minutes before serving the steaks.

Makes 4 steaks

Vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ cup best-quality olive oil

Chicken (optional)
:

2½ pounds chicken breast, trimmed of fat, pounded to an even ½-inch thickness, and cut into 8 even pieces

Salad:

2⁄3 cup dates, chopped

2 avocados

5 ounces organic field greens, washed and dried

2 large tomatoes, cored and thinly sliced

2 large eggs, hard-cooked and thinly sliced

½ cup sliced celery

½ cup pecans, chopped

4 ounces chèvre with garlic and herbs, sliced into 8 pieces

Croutons, preferably homemade

For the vinaigrette:

Using a whisk, mix together the mustard, sugar, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Whisking constantly, slowly mix in the olive oil.

For the chicken:

If you are using the chicken, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Place the chicken in a large bowl. Measure out ¼ cup of the vinaigrette and pour it over the chicken. Allow it to marinate for 15 minutes. Heat an ovenproof grill pan over high heat. Drain the excess marinade from the chicken and discard. Place the chicken in the grill pan, lower the heat to medium-high, and cook for 1 minute only. Using tongs, flip the chicken and remove the pan from the heat. Insert a digital meat thermometer in one piece of chicken. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the thermometer reaches 160˚F, approximately 8 more minutes, and the chicken is cooked through. Do not overcook the chicken. Allow it to cool slightly.

For the salad:

Place the dates in a bowl. Measure out 1⁄3 cup of the vinaigrette and pour it over the dates. On a cutting board, slice the chicken.

Peel, pit, and slice the avocados into eighths.

In a large bowl, toss the greens, tomatoes, eggs, celery, and pecans with the dates and vinaigrette. Divide evenly among four plates. Place evenly divided slices of chèvre, chicken, and avocado on top of the salad on each plate. Sprinkle on croutons.

Makes 4 servings

4 large egg yolks

½ cup sugar substitute, such as Splenda

1½ cups whole milk

1½ cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Following the manufacturer's instructions, freeze the inner bowl of an ice-cream or gelato maker for 6 hours or more, until it is thoroughly frozen.

Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar substitute in a large bowl, until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Combine the milk and cream in a medium-size heavy-bottomed saucepan and place over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a simmer (bubbles appear around the outside of the mixture). Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the mixture into a large, heat-proof glass 4-cup measuring cup.

Whisking the egg-yolk mixture constantly, pour the hot milk mixture very gradually into the egg-yolk mixture. (The key here is not to cook the eggs.) Whisk until completely combined.

(Using a paper towel, wipe out the 4-cup glass measuring cup; you will be pouring the cooked custard back into it.)

Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the pan and place over medium-low heat. Put a thermometer into the pan and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens and covers the spoon. The thermometer should read just above 170˚F. Once the mixture thickens, immediately remove it from the heat. It is now a custard. (If bits of cooked egg begin to appear before the thermometer reaches 170˚F, immediately remove the pan from the heat.)

Pour the thickened custard mixture through a sieve back into the 4-cup glass measuring cup. Stir in the vanilla. Place a large piece of plastic wrap directly onto the custard to cover completely. (This is to prevent a skin from forming as the custard cools.)

Chill the custard in the refrigerator until it is thoroughly cold, usually 1 to 2 hours.

Following the manufacturer's instructions, turn on the gelato maker and scoop the chilled custard into the frozen rotating bowl. Set a timer for 25 minutes.

The soft gelato will be ready after 25 minutes. If you desire a firmer gelato, scoop it into a hard plastic container with a lid, and freeze, covered, for 20 minutes or so.

Freeze any leftover gelato, covered, in a hard plastic container with a lid. Allow it to soften at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving again.

Makes about 2 cups gelato

4 ounces best-quality extra-bittersweet (85% cacao) chocolate (recommended brand: Lindt; check that you are using the full 4 ounces, which may involve using a digital scale to weigh)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon minced crystallized ginger

3 tablespoons dark European-style (Dutch-processed) cocoa

1¼ cups cake flour, measured by gently spooning into measuring cups (high altitude: add 2 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

4 large eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

½ teaspoon chocolate extract (available at Sur La Table)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325˚F for dark or nonstick pans, 350˚F for glass pans. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

Melt the butter with the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, stirring occasionally. When the mixture is melted, add the crystallized ginger, stir, and set it aside to cool slightly.

Sift together the cocoa, flour, ground ginger, baking powder, and salt. Beat the eggs until thoroughly combined. Add the sugar, beating until thoroughly combined. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and the extracts, and stir until thoroughly combined. Gently stir in the flour mixture, stirring only until thoroughly combined, about 30 to 40 strokes.

Spread the mixture in the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted 1 inch from the edge of the pan comes out clean.

Cool completely on wire racks. To serve, place the pan in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. Using a sharp knife, gently slice the brownies and lever them out of the pan with a spatula. Serve with the best-quality vanilla ice cream or gelato.

Makes 16 large brownies

Variations:
To make the brownies more spicy, add 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root. To make chile-flavored brownies, omit all ginger ingredients and add 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder to the dry ingredients.

About the Author

DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON
is the author of sixteen bestselling novels. She divides her time between Colorado and Florida.

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Also by Diane Mott Davidson

Catering to Nobody

Dying for Chocolate

The Cereal Murders

The Last Suppers

Killer Pancake

The Main Corpse

The Grilling Season

Prime Cut

Tough Cookie

Sticks & Scones

Chopping Spree

Double Shot

Dark Tort

Sweet Revenge

Fatally Flaky

Crunch Time

Credits

Cover photograph © by Bob Ingelhart/Getty Images

Copyright

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

THE WHOLE ENCHILADA
. Copyright © 2013 by Diane Mott Davidson. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

 

FIRST EDITION

 

ISBN 978-0-06-134817-4

 

EPub Edition SEPTEMBER 2013 ISBN: 9780062184740

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OV/RRD
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