JenEric Designs

Back in 2022, we created a few recipes based on Assassins! Accidental Matchmakers. We posted about it and linked to an article.

This article ran in All Lit Up‘s Test Kitchen blog that has since been discontinued and taken down.

Fear not! We’ve rescued it from the bowels of the internet and here it is:

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Jen and Éric Desmarais are the husband-and-wife writing team behind the new adult series The Gates of Westmeath and its first book,  Assassins! Accidental Matchmakers (Renaissance Press). They’re also dynamos in the kitchen; check out their recipes for two dishes found in the book: stuffed mooseballs and a chocolate and chili brownie. Is it lunchtime yet?

When writing about the restaurant Amontillado in Assassins! Accidental Matchmakers, we wanted a place that was both trendy and had amazing food. The kind of place both Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent would feel comfortable. Somewhere that had the atmosphere of a party, but the sophistication of haute-cuisine.

The food itself needed to be elevated but also diverse. We wanted something that reflected the city of Westmeath, but also our main characters’ personalities and love of food.
 

Stuffed Mooseballs

The food was a fusion of Aboriginal, North American Italian, and Creole cuisines. […] Kennedy ordered, with Jason’s guidance, the Stuffed Mooseballs, which were moose meatballs in a primavera sauce stuffed with mushrooms and mozzarella.

‘This is amazing,’ Kennedy said, after trying both dishes.

–p211, Assassins! Accidental Matchmakers

Stuffed mooseballs is a variation of an exploding meatball that Éric had developed for an all-day marathon of Good Omens a few years ago. He adapted it to have more of an Aboriginal and creole flavour profile and it turned out pretty well. We’re fairly sure that Alice (the Amontillado executive chef) would be appalled by our presentation, but it was delicious.

Ingredients

Meatball

• 500g ground moose or venison (extra lean ground beef is okay too)
• 150g ground pork or bacon
• 1 egg
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chives or green onion stems
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon smoky paprika
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped finely
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Primavera Sauce

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (or half and half)
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• Smoked salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon mint, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice

Instructions

Make the meatballs

1. Combine ground moose, ground pork, egg, bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, chives, cayenne, celery salt, and paprika in a large bowl. Don’t overwork.
2. Mix mushrooms and mozzarella together.
3. Take 1 tablespoon of mushroom and mozzarella mix and wrap a quarter cup of meat mixture around it.
4. Place on a greased baking sheet.
5. Cook in a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

Make the primavera sauce

1. Add butter, chicken broth, and cream to a pan.
2. Bring to a simmer and stir in cheese.
3. Season with salt, pepper, mint, and allspice.

Assemble

1. Toss meatballs and primavera sauce with pasta or serve with a side of plain wild rice.

Makes 12 balls.

Chocolate Chili Brownie

The chocolate and chili brownie was an idea that came to Éric when he was enjoying some dark chocolate he’d gotten for Christmas. The recipe is a simple brownie with real chocolate, but he added some allspice and chilies to spice things up.

Ingredients

• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed chili flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9 baking dish. Set aside.
2. In a microwave-safe dish, melt butter and chocolate chips. Microwave 30 seconds and then stir. Repeat until creamy.
3. Whisk both the sugars into the chocolate and add the eggs, one at a time, whisking constantly, until evenly combined. Next, mix in the vanilla until smooth. Stir in the salt, cayenne, chili flakes, and flour until they’re evenly incorporated. Stir in the mini chips and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted 2 inches from the side comes out clean.
5. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.

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This makes me want to make them again.

If you make either of these, let me know how they turn out.

Stay safe and be kind,

Éric