Poisons, knives, and bullets riddle the stories of Agatha Christie, but so does food, which she uses to invoke settings, to develop characters, and, of course, to commit murder. In this to-die-for cookbook - Recipes for Murder: 66 Dishes That Celebrate the Mysteries of Agatha Christie, (Countryman; Aug 22, 2023), author and Agatha Christie fan Karen Pierce offers unique recipes written by the author for one accessible, easy-to-follow dish or drink for each of Christie’s 66 mysteries.
Recipes include Fish and Chips at the Seven Dials Club, Literary Luncheon Meringues, Oysters Rockefeller on the Orient Express, Sixpence Blackbird Pie, Orange Marmalade from Gossington Hall, and more. Along the way, you’ll learn how to make an exquisite omelet, how to roast a leg of lamb properly, and how to serve perfectly timed steak frites.
Framing these dishes are insightful essays and headnotes that detail the history of the recipes, their context in Christie’s life and times, and the roles they play in the source works. Based on extensive research and investigation, all dishes appear traditional to their respective eras, so steak fried for 1923 but marinated and grilled for 1964. Completing the collection, thematic menus assemble recipes for a Halloween murder mystery gathering, a “Christie for Christmas,” a book club buffet, and other occasions, making it a filling tribute to the grand dame of detective fiction.
Like Hercule Poirot, who appears in her first detective novel, Agatha Christie loved good food, but this collection of recipes doesn’t examine what she ate and drank herself. Rather, it examines the different ways she incorporates various meals, dishes, drinks, and ingredients into her mysteries. Occasionally she wields food as a weapon, but more often meals serve as plot devices. In her stories, food develops characters or invokes settings, whether familiar or foreign. Through 33 novels and more than 50 short stories, Poirot, with his sensitive but particular stomach, pursues gastronomic pleasure, regardless of the body count. You can do the same—evoking your favorite characters, scenes, or settings—by creating this dish or others from the book in your own kitchen.
DEVON BOILED POTATOES
“I hope lunch will be satisfactory. There is cold ham and cold tongue, and I’ve boiled some potatoes.”—THOMAS ROGERS, And Then There Were None, 1939
serves 4
Christie claimed that this novel was the hardest for her to write. It became her best-selling novel and the best-selling mystery of all time, with more than 100 million copies sold. Most critics and fans consider it her masterpiece. An unknown host lures 10 strangers to an island off the coast of Devon, and the deteriorating quality of their meals heightens the tension. At first, the food and drink provide goodwill, but after two guests die, meals decline in sustenance and goodwill. (“Eight little Soldier Boys travelling in Devon; / One said he’d stay there, and then there were seven.”)
By the time half of the guests have died, the survivors meet in the kitchen and eat from tins, standing up. Boiled potatoes lie exactly halfway between comfort food and bare bones.
Use whole potatoes of the same size so they cook evenly.
1 pound (450 grams) small potatoes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon sea salt
1. In a large pot over medium heat, add the potatoes and cover them with cold water by 1 inch (2.5 centimeters).
2. Add half the salt and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until tender, about 8–15 minutes. If too much water boils off, add a little more.
3. After 8 minutes, poke the potatoes with a skewer. When it moves easily through the center, they’re done.
4. Drain the potatoes and place in a serving bowl.
5. Drizzle the potatoes with the melted butter, season with the remaining salt, toss gently, and serve.
LITERARY LUNCHEON MERINGUES
“Mrs. Oliver arrived at the last course of the grand luncheon with a sigh of satisfaction as she toyed with the remains of the meringue on her plate. She was particularly fond of meringues and it was a delicious last course in a very delicious luncheon.”—from Elephants Can Remember, 1972
yields 24
In the chronologically final novel to feature both Poirot and Mrs. Oliver, Christie revisits her feelings about literary luncheons. Mrs. Oliver always declines invitations to them: “What a mistake for an author to emerge from her secret fastness,” said the fictitious crime writer in Mrs. McGinty’s Dead. But this time Mrs. Oliver does go, enjoying the speakers, her luncheon companion, and the food very much—especially these French meringues.
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 pinch fine salt
1 cup (200 grams) superfine (caster) sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C).
2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Carefully separate the egg whites from the yolks.
4. With a stand mixer fitted with a medium bowl and a whisk attachment, whisk together the egg whites and salt on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
5. Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, while continuing to whisk. Continue until all the sugar has dissolved.
6. Add in the vanilla extract and whisk on high for 3–5 more minutes, until the mixture stiffens.
7. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the meringue mixture on the lined baking sheets. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
8. Decrease the heat to 200°F (90°C) and bake the meringues for 1 hour 30 minutes.
9. Turn the oven off and leave the meringues inside it overnight, or at least 8 hours, to cool completely.
10. Store them in an airtight tin for up to 1 week.
Excerpted from Recipes for Murder by Karen Pierce, copyright © 2023, reprinted by permission of Countryman Press, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. Recipes for Murder has not been prepared, approved, or licensed by Agatha Christie Limited, RLJ Entertainment, or any individual or entity associated with Agatha Christie or her successors.
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