My Johnny Lies Over The Ocean

Murder, She Wrote - S1:E13

Jessica is onboard an ocean liner! How utterly fabulous. This episode is one of my favourites. There are comedy characters galore,

and J.B is in a very sassy mood.

Ordering dinner with her niece Pamela on their first night aboard,

the dish offered as the day’s special causes alarm. Chicken breast stuffed with chopped walnuts and mushrooms, covered with mustard sauce.

This sounds delicious to me, and to J.B. too. But it’s a bit freaky for Pamela as it was her recently deceased husband’s favourite meal. She says, “It was my recipe, Aunt Jess; I made it up!”

It seems as though the little card describing this delight was attached to the menu specifically to cause Pamela distress. Jessica is immediately on high alert!

Leslie Nielsen plays the ship’s captain. He is candidate number one on my secret Cabot Cove Dating Agency list of potential matches for J.B.

Since we saw her winking and flirting with Preston Giles in the pilot episode, there haven’t been any suitable men around. But she’s a man-magnet in this episode. Even her steward Ramon, a bit of a gigolo, offers to show her his hoochie coochie.

Lynda Day George plays a glamorous but suspicious ship’s purser in this episode. Her fresh peach omelet is just the kind of thing I can imagine served as a fancy-pants dessert on board an ocean liner. If you have one of those domed silver salvers that can be wheeled up to the dinner table, why not amaze your dinner party guests with a pudding omelet!

Lynda Day George’s Fresh Peach Omelet

8 ripe, fresh peaches

Juice of one large lemon

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind

Pinch of ground nutmeg

3 tablespoons peach brandy

Few dashes of brandy extract or almond extract

6 tablespoons butter, divided use

6 eggs, separated

2 tablespoons of heavy cream

2 tablespoons of sugar

Peel the peaches and cut them into quarters.  Arrange them in the bottom of a frying pan which has been lined with aluminium foil.  Sprinkle the lemon juice and lemon rind evenly over the peaches; top with nutmeg, peach brandy and almond or brandy extract.  Let the peaches marinate for about 15 minutes at room temperature.  Then drizzle 3 tablespoons of melted butter over the peaches. Cook slowly over a very low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the marinade forms a thin syrup in the pan.  Set aside.  Meanwhile, prepare the omelet.  Beat the egg yolks in small bowl with cream, sugar and salt until frothy.  Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold into the egg yolk mixture until well blended.  Heat remaining butter in a 12-inch omelet pan, rotating butter in pan to spread evenly.  Pour in the beaten egg mixture; cook omelet slowly until light brown on the bottom.  Run under a broiler/grill for a few minutes until the top is golden.  Carefully remove the omelet from the pan.  Spread the peach mixture on 1/2 of the omelet and roll up jelly-roll fashion.  If desired, divide the peaches, using half inside and the other half spread on top to form a glaze.  Serve at once!

Serves 4

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