Whodunnitdinners Podcast #2 Georges Simenon: Murdered pensioners, marinating molluscs and lobsters on the loose

Episode #2 of the WhodunnitDinners podcast is based around the world of the Georges Simenon book, ‘Felicie’. The novella is set in a village in the outskirts of Paris and features the now-famous Inspector Maigret investigating the mysterious death of Jules Lapie, also known as Pegleg.

Simenon wrote 75 books featuring his much-loved inspector and all 75 have recently been published by Penguin for the English-speaking world to enjoy. (As a side note, the Irish Booker winner, John Banville recently revealed in an interview that his summer holiday reading recommendation would be the Simenon book ‘The Saint-Fiacre Affair’, which he calls ‘a small but resonant masterpiece’. He termed it ‘fiction transcending conventions of mere genre’ for its vividness and poetic accuracy’, so if you do read and enjoy that one, let us know!) The book ‘Felicie’ - named after the murder victim’s young housekeeper - was originally published in 1944. 

Having chatted in the podcast about the inspector’s character, the plot, the humour (which is where the ‘lobster on the loose’ comes in if you were wondering: listen to the podcast to hear more) and other charming cultural details of ‘Felicie’, Katie shared some recipes inspired by the book. 

She came up with a three-course menu (no less!), which rather put my yakitori recipes of podcast #1 to shame. But I’lll not hold that against her because they sound both easy and delicious. 

So if the idea of culinary immersion in the cuisine of traditional northern France appeals, why not try Moules Mariniere, Marolles Flamiche or Tarte Tatin! Recipes are listed below, but tune in to the podcast to hear Katie explain how to make them in more detail. The quantities recommended would serve 4 people.

Moules Mariniere

4lb of moules (mussels)

1 clove garlic

2 shallots finely chopped 

1 leek finely chopped

40 grams butter 

100ml of dry white wine or cider

3 tbsp fresh parsley 

Method 

1. Clean and debeard your mussels (if fresh, if not just put in a saucepan)

2. Put butter into a pan and melt.

3. Add shallots, leeks and garlic. 

4. Now add your mussels and sweat them in butter

5. Next add wine/cider

6. Bring to the boil and then put the lid on to steam them until they open

7. Add cream and fresh parsley

8. Serve hot and DO NOT OPEN any mussels that are still closed after boiling and steaming. They will be off and they will make you very sick!

Marolles Flamiche

80 ml water

20 g fresh yeast

1 tsp caster sugar

½ tsp salt

50 ml extra-virgin olive oil

2 eggs

190 g all-purpose flour

200-g Marolles cheese

A little freshly grated nutmeg

Method 

1. Heat the water until it is lukewarm. Pour it into a mixing bowl. Crumble in the fresh yeast, add the sugar and salt, and stir until fully mixed.

2. Leave for 5 minutes.

3. Now whisk in the olive oil. 

4. Next add one egg and whisk to blend, then add the second egg and whisk even more vigorously. Add the flour and whisk it in until smooth. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes at room temperature.

5. Line two 9½-in. (24-cm) tart pans with greaseproof paper. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and place in the tart pans. Press the dough evenly over the bases of the pans and up the sides. 

6. Remove the rind from the Marolles. Cut the cheese into slices and arrange in a crisscross pattern over the dough 3-cm border. 

7. Dust lightly with nutmeg. Let rise for about 40 minutes at room temperature.

8. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C/Gas Mark 6) on fan setting. Bake one tart at a time for about 30 minutes, or until deeply golden.

Tarte Tatin

1 pack of puff pastry

3 tbsp water

12 apples (not cooking apples) peeled and sliced

100g caster sugar

60g unsalted butter diced

30g salted butter diced

20 inch circular baking tin

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

2. Using your tin as a template, cut a circle of puff pastry but make sure to leave a 2 cm addition approx all the way around. Set aside.

3. Put the water into a saucepan add the sugar and let dissolve

4. Heat this until the sugar turns a light golden colour ( do not let it get too dark!)

1. Add in the unsalted butter and melt until you have a creamy caramel.

2. Pour this into your baking tin

3. Now lay out the slices of apple, on top of the caramel, around the edge of the tin, moving in towards the centre until it is completely covered. 

4. Pack them as tightly as possible!

5. Melt the salted butter

6. Brush apples with salted butter and cook for 30 minutes

7. Remove from the oven and place your circular pastry on the top, tucking in the additional pastry around the tube edge. 

8. Return to the oven and bake for a further 40 - 45 minutes

9. Allow to cool until warm rather than hot, turn out  and enjoy with creme fraiche!

If you’ve found this northern French literature/food mash up a delicious prospect, take a listen to the full Whodunnitdinners podcast, where you’ll hear more about Inspector Maigret and the world of Felicie. To hear the full Whodunnitdinners podcast go here.