Клео Коул - Murder by Mocha

An elegant yet easy entrée, Clare Cosi cooked up four of these Rock Cornish hens in about an hour—all the time she had to prepare that promised “home-cooked dinner” for Sergeant Franco, Joy, and Lieutenant Mike Quinn. This quick-roasting method produces a crispy, buttery skin. The lemon infuses the moist meat with tangy brightness while the herbs tickle the tongue. These elegant little birds usually weigh in around 2½ pounds each, so plan on one bird per person for your service. These hens also make a wonderful complement to Clare’s Fettuccine with Italian Mole (Mushroom Wine Sauce), which she prepared for that same special dinner. See the next recipe for instructions on making that dish.

Makes 2 servings

2 Rock Cornish game hens

Sea salt and ground white or freshly ground black pepper

2 medium lemons, quartered

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) butter, softened, for paste, plus 2 tablespoons butter, melted, for basting

3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (or 3 teaspoons dried)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (or 3 teaspoons dried)

4 toothpicks (for closing cavity during roasting)

Step 1—Prep hens:Preheat the oven to 450°F. ( Tip: Many ovens need extra time to reach this temperature. Don’t trust the preheat beeper. Give your oven a full 30 minutes to properly preheat.) Lightly coat the rack of a roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray. Remove the giblets from each hen’s cavity, rinse each hen, and pat dry. Salt and pepper the inside cavity. Stuff each game hen with ½ tablespoon of the fresh rosemary, ½ tablespoon of the fresh thyme (if using dried herbs, use ½ teaspoon of each), and 3 lemon quarters. Place the two hens on the rack of the roasting pan.

Step 2—Make butter paste:Place the softened butter in a bowl, and using a fork (or clean fingers) mix in the remaining fresh (or dried) rosemary and thyme until you’ve made a nice herb-butter paste. Slather each of the game hens all over with the butter mixture. Sprinkle each game hen with salt and pepper. To prevent lemons from falling out during roasting, draw together excess skin on either side of the open cavity. Drive toothpicks through the skin to secure (2 toothpicks per bird should do it).

Step 3—Roast the meat:Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Baste the hens with melted butter and return the hens to the oven for another 10 minutes. ( Tip: Encase the wing tips in aluminum foil to prevent scorching.) Baste the hens a second time and return to the oven for the final 8 minutes of cooking. Remove from the oven, tent foil around the birds to keep them warm, and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before serving. If you skip this resting period, when you slice into the meat, the juices will run out and the meat will taste dry. Allowing the meat to rest gives the juices a chance to re-collect and the meat to remain moist.

This delicious mushroom wine sauce served over fat fettuccine noodles combines two of the many vibrant cultures that Clare lives among in New York City. Mushroom sauce and pasta may be an idea with culinary roots in Italy, but the spice mix and finish of chocolate are borrowed from a classic Mexican mole. This unsweetened chocolate (also known as “bitter” or “baking” chocolate) isn’t something you taste in the sauce; it’s a subtle secret ingredient that adds a rich, meaty depth of flavor that suggests it was cooking for many hours instead of less than one (about all the time Clare had to prepare dinner for her daughter, Franco, and Mike Quinn).

Makes 6 servings

1 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped

A few glugs of olive oil

3 garlic cloves, smashed

¼ cup vegetable stock

½ cup dry red wine

⅛ teaspoon allspice

⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon sea salt

⅛ teaspoon white pepper

¼ cup brewed coffee

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 pound fettuccine noodles, cooked according to package instructions

Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese (to garnish)

Step 1—Prepare and cook mushrooms:Gently wash the mushrooms (any variety or combo you like), pat them dry, and chop them. Cover the bottom of a nonstick pan with olive oil and lightly sauté for 3–5 minutes. Transfer cooked mushrooms and any juices to a bowl and set aside.

Step 2—Make sauce and cover:Add more olive oil to the pan and sauté the garlic until soft and translucent. Then return all the mushrooms to the pan, along with any juices. Add the vegetable stock, wine, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add the brewed coffee, cover, and simmer for 10–12 minutes.

Step 3—Uncover and reduce:Uncover the pan and continue cooking for another 6–8 minutes until some of the liquid evaporates and the sauce thickens a bit.

Step 4—Add butter and chocolate:Stir in the butter. When the butter is melted, sprinkle the chopped chocolate over the sauce and stir. The heat of the sauce will melt the chocolate’s darkness into goodness, allowing it to blend with the many different flavors for the very best result. Toss well with 1 pound of cooked fettuccine. Plate and garnish with freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese.

Makes 2 servings

1½ ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, grated or finely chopped

1 cup milk

Granulated sugar, optional

Whipped cream or crème fraîche (see tip at end of recipe)

Method:Grate all of the chocolate, reserve 2 teaspoons, and divide the rest in half, putting each half in a separate mug. Place a saucepan over medium heat and warm the milk, stirring continuously. Do not let the milk boil or you may get a scorched taste in your hot chocolate. When the milk begins to simmer, remove it from the stove and divide it between the two mugs. Stir the milk and chocolate until the chocolate completely melts. Top with whipped cream and a teaspoon (per mug) of the grated chocolate you reserved at the beginning of the process.

How to Make Crème Fraîche: Crème fraîche is a thick, tangy French sour cream. It’s delicious on top of sweetened berries. Try mixing it with herbs and using it as a potato chip dip or adding a dollop on potato pancakes. (See Esther’s Roasted Garlic and Herb Latkes recipe in the Coffeehouse Mystery Holiday Grind .) Crème fraîche can even add the complexity of tangy brightness to buttercream frosting.

In a saucepan, combine 1 cup heavy whipping cream with 3 tablespoons buttermilk. Warm carefully over medium heat—just to the touch, no more. Pour the liquid into a glass jar or bowl, and cover lightly with a clean towel (do not seal). Let stand at room temperature (about 70°F) for 10–24 hours. You’re watching for it to thicken. Stir it well, then seal and refrigerate. (Use within 10 days.)

Like a French shortbread, this tender, buttery little cookie is very simple to make yet an elegant addition to any coffee or tea tray. Sablé actually translates to “sand,” the name coming from the crumbly texture of the cookie (again, like a shortbread).